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NEW GAMES AND AMUSE- 
MENTS 



NEW GAMES 

AND 

AMUSEMENTS 

For young and old alike. Consisting of original 

games and ideas invented by the author 

and Victor J. Smedley 

BY 

MEREDITH NUGENT 

Fully illustrated by the inventors 




New York 

Doubleday, Page Sc Company 

1905 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Copies Received 

NOV 28 1905 

r» CopyriirM Entry 
CLASS a. XXc. No. 
COPY B. 






Copyright, 1901, 1902, by 

The Century Company 

Copyright, 1902, 1903, by 

The Crowell Publishing Company 

Copyright, 1901, 1902, 1905, by 

The Curtis Publishing Company 

Copyright, 1905, by 

Doubleday, Page & Company 

Published, November, 1905 



All rights reserved, 

including that of translation into foreign languages, 

including the Scandinavian 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER 

I. A SoAP-BuBBLE Magician (Story) . , 
A rose inside of a soap bubble 
A spinning top inside of a bubble 
How to place three bubbles inside of one 

another 

How to place a lighted candle inside of a 

bubble ...... 

How to freeze a bubble 

How to thrust a knife through a bubble 

without breaking the bubble 
How the "salute to the flag" was pre 

pared ...... 

How to drop objects through bubbles 
H. Phil's Second Bubble Show (Story) 

How three persons or more may blow 

a giant bubble .... 

Gas bubble reservoir 
How to balance a bubble on a goblet 
How to place a bubble upon a spinning 

top 

How to break a large bubble into a num 

ber of smaller ones ...» 
Frying a soap bubble .... 
Soap-bubble lantern display 
The "steamed bubble" . . . 
The fairy fleet .... 

V 



3 
II 
II 

12 

13 
13 

14 

14 
15 

19 

28 
28 
29 

29 

30 
31 
31 
31 
32 



CON TEN TS— Continued 



III. A Perfect Soap-Bubble Solution . 

Another soap-bubble solution 

A word of caution to bubble blowers 

How to blow a bubble 

How to make a cornucopia 

IV. A SoAP-BuBBLE Party (Story) 

How to blow a pinwheel around inside 

of a bubble .... 

Bubbles and noise 
Bubble resting upon a flower 
How to place a little bubble inside of a 

large one ..... 
Bubbles dangling from finger tips 
V The "Soap-Bubblers'" First Recep 

TION (Story) .... 
Some soap-bubble tricks for experts 
How to throw bubbles from a wire 

ring 

Kittens inside of a soap bubble 

Two bubbles from same film going in 

opposite directions 
The giant letter "S" 
Large bubble enveloped within a larger 

one 

The long twisting bubble 
The shower of bubbles 
The boy in the soap-film house 
Twelve bubbles, one inside of the other 
VI. A Yacht Race in The Clouds (Story) 
How to make kite yachts 
VII. A Circus On a Kite String (Story) 
Sailing a flag to the skies 
vi 



35 

36 

Z7 
38 
39 

43 

45 
45 
46 

46 
47 

51 
51 

6i 
62 

63 
63 

63 
64 
64 
64 
64 
67 
71 
79 
84 



CON TEN TS— Continued 



VIII. 



IX. 



XL 



XII. 



Parachutes .... 


, 


. 85 


The giant whirler 


, 


. 85 


The paper Chinaman 


, 


. 85 


Sending an umbrella up a kite string 


. 86 


Spin! Whiz! Whirl! (Story) 




. 89 


How to make the plate top 




• 97 


Sailing boats 




. 98 


Revolving disk 




. 98 


Pagoda top .... 




. 99 


Circle of pinwheels 




. 100 


Two tops, one spinning on top of the othei 


r 100 


Boat run by plate-top engine 


. 


. 100 


Travelling disk ■ . . 


. 


. loi 


Seaside Toys and How To Make Them 


. 105 


An inclined railway 




105 


Sand-power engine 


. 


106 


Seesaw run by sand power 


. 


107 


Boat run by sand power 


. 


109 


Frolic and Fun With Egg Shells 


113 


Blossoming egg shells 




116 


Egg-shell night Hlies 




116 


An egg-shell candlestick 




117 


An egg-shell rooster 




117 


An egg-shell swan . 




118 


The ''Dewey Arch" 




118 


An egg-shell yacht 




119 


Egg-shell fairy lamp 




120 


Sunshine Toys and How To Make Them 


123 


The floating pinwheel 


. 


125 


The Ferris wheel 


, 


125 


Sunlight yachts . . . 


, 


126 


Tom's Sunshine Engine (Story) 


. 


131 



CON TEN TS— Continued 



CHAPTER 

XIII. 



XIV. 
XV. 

XVI. 

XVII. 
XVIII. 

XIX. 



XX. 



How To Have Fun With Old News- 
papers .... 

A newspaper table 

A newspaper "Brooklyn Bridge 

"Greek temple" made from newspapers 

A newspaper chair 
How To Make a Paper Yacht That 

Will Sail . 
Kites Without Sticks (Story) 

A six-sided kite . 

A bow kite .... 

A kite without a tail 
A Boy and An Old Umbrella (Story) 

How to make the umbrella windmill 

Umbrella trolley line . 

Indoor kites .... 

"Right in The Wind's Eye" (Story) 

How to make the boat . 
A Bathtub Regatta (Story) 

The baking-powder-can boat 

Water-power catamaran 

The candle boat .... 

Air-propeller steamboat 
Toys That Run Up Hill 

How to arrange the running gear 
which will make all these toys travel 

How to make the air-line steamboat 

"Cat on the fence" 

Organ-grinder and monkey . 
Home-Made Artillery 

How to make the house gun 

How to make the field gun . 



141 
143 
143 

145 
145 

151 
161 
166 

167 
168 

173 
178 

179 
180 

185 
187 
193 

194 

195 
195 
196 
199 

200 
202 
203 
204 
209 
210 
214 



CON TEN TS— Continued 



CHAPTER 

XXI. 


Ships That Sail On The Snow 




PAGE 

217 


XXIL 


Fun With Candle Light 


. 


226 




A pretty illustration of an old 


dea 


225 




The revolving tower 


. 


226 




The candle-hght engine 


. 


226 




Paper merry-go-round 


. 


229 




The circling arch 


. 


229 




The simply made lighthouse 


. 


230 


XXIII. 


Some New Paper Tricks (Story) 




237 


XXIV. 


Home-Made Christmas Toys 


. , 


245 




Building the subway . 


. 


245 




The butterfly circus 


. 


249 




Holly-branch merry-go-round 


. 


250 




The feathered ballet dancer 




250 


XXV. 


Elastic Toys and How To 


Make 






Them .... 


. 


253 




How to make a tin-can locomotive 


253 




How to make a trolley car . 




255 


XXVI. 


Sculpture For Everybody . 




261 




Dogwood blossoms 




262 




A soap candelabrum . 




263 




The flowery chariot . 




265 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



A Rose in a Soap Bubble 



Fig. I. Blowing a Bubble over a Rose 

Fig. 2. Gradually Lift the Funnel 

Fig. 3. Releasing the Bubble from the Funnel 

A Spinning Top Inclosed Within a Bubble 

A Salute to the Flag .... 

A Frozen Bubble .... 

Cutting Through a Bubble with a Knife 

Three Bubbles, One Inside Another, and the Small 

est Filled with Smoke 
Dropping Objects Through a Bubble Without 

Breaking It . . . . 
A Candle with a Bubble for a Globe 
A Bubble Full of Illuminating Gas 
Frying a Bubble ..... 
How a Big Bubble Breaks into Four Little O 
Bubble Balanced on a Glass 
Blowing a Little Smoke Bubble 
A Fairy Fleet Afloat on a Sea of Bubble-fil 
A Three-cornered Bubble 
Steaming a Bubble 
The Bubble-topped Top 
Making Bubbles and Noise 
Resting Upon a Flower 
Blowing a Pin-wheel in a Bubble 



Frontispiecf 

FACING PAGE 



8, 

10 
10 
12 

12 

14/ 

14- 

26^ 

26 

28^ 

28' 

28 

30^ 
30/ 

32 
32 

46, 
46. 
46 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued 



FACING PAGE 



Bubbles Dangling from the Finger Tips 

*" First kittens ever inside of a soap bubble!'" 

Twelve Bubbles, One Inside of the Other 

Two large Bubbles Springing from the Same Film 

and Travelling in Opposite Directions . 
"The giant letter S" . 

A Shower of Bubbles 

"An ever-moving, ever-lengthening, ever-varying 

twisting, writhing shape" 
Two Large Round Bubbles, One Inside Another 
A Boy in a Soap-film House .... 
Large Bubbles Thrown from a Soaped Wire Ring 
The Flyaway, Under Full Sail, Moving Upward on 

the Kite-string 
The Flyaway, with Sail Down, Descending the 

Kite-string 

The Chinaman Sails up the Kite-string . 
"Up with 'Old Glory.'" . . . . 
"A flight of paper parachutes" 
"The ascent of a black umbrella" 
"Coloured windmill more than four feet 

height" . 
A Plate-top Boat . 



m 



A Whirling Garland 

A Tin-pan Regatta 

The Circle of Pinwheel 

The Travelling Disk 

A Two-storied Spinner 

An Inclined Railway 

Sand-Power Boat and Power Wheel 

Seesaw Run by Sand-power . 

Sand-power Engine 



46/ 

54 

54 

56 

58 

58' 

60 „ 
62 V 

70 

70 

84/ 

84. 

86. 
86 

86 
96 



100 
100 
106 
106 
108 
108 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued 



A White Swan 

Egg-shell Rooster . . . . . 

Race for the Egg-cup 

'"Coco" Looking for the Boy Who Made Him 

Real Mother Goose 

An Egg-shell Knight on an Egg-shell Horse . 

"Mrs. Fuzzy-Wuzzy" Going to Market 

Blossoms .... 

An Easter Chicken at Breakfast 

Hull of Yacht . 

Purest of Night Lilies . 

Exquisite Fairy Lamps . 

Dewey Arch .... 

Candlestick .... 

Sunlight Yachts 

The Floating Pinwheel 

The Ferris Wheel 

The ''Engine," Showing Fly-wheel and Flanged 

Driving-wheel 
The Sunshine Engine Complete 
Greek Temple 

Perspective View of Paper Bridge 
The Brooklyn Bridge 
Table and Cloth 
A Newspaper Chair 
Kites Flown in the House by the ' 

mill" .... 
The "Umbrella Trolley-Hne" 
"The obstinate little fellows just 

breeze at greater speed" 
The "Old-Umbrella Motor" 
Air-propeller Boats 

:?ciii 



Umbrella Wind 



pushed into the 



PAGE 

114 

116 

116 

116 

116 

118/ 

118' 

118 

118 

120. 

120, 

120 

124 

124 

124 

136' 
136 

I42y 

142 

142 

144^' 

144/ 

178^ 
178/ 

188 

188- 

194 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued 



A Baking-powder Can Steamboat 

A Fleet Run by Water Power 

Boats Run by Candle-light Power 

The "Climber" in Dry-dock 

Organ-grinder and Monkey . 

Launching of the Steamboat "Climber' 

Game of "Cat on the Fence" 

A Paper Yacht 

A Fight with Field Guns 

A Fierce Battle IndooBS 

An "Ice-Schooner" 

"Flying over the snow" 

An Ice-ship Race Up Hill 

Sails Reefed — Going Down Hill . 

A Pretty Illustration of an Old-time Trick 

A Revolving Tower .... 

Wrapping-paper Lighthouse 

Circling Arch 

Candle-light Merry-go-round 

The Paper Tower .... 

A Top Spinning on Floating Paper 

A Sheet of Wrapping Paper Bearing a Cat 

Bonfire on Floating Paper 

The Merry-go-round .... 

What a Sheet of Writing Paper Will Carry 

Natty Feather Ballet Dancer 

The Subway in Complete Working Order 

Paper Butterfly Circus .... 

Holly-branch Merry-go-round 

The Train . . 

The Locomotive ..... 

Trolley Car 



FACING PAGB 

. 194 

. 196 

. 196 

. 202 

. 202 

. 202 

. 204 

. 204 

. 212 

. 212 

. 218 

. 218 

. 220 

. 220 

. 226 

. 226 

. 226 

. 228 

. 228 

. 230 

. 230 

. 230 

. 238 

. 238 

. 238 

. 246 

. 246 

. 246 

. 246 

. 254 

. 254 

. 256 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued 



FACING PAGE 



A Bicycle Race 256 

Soap Candelabrum ...... 262 

Dogwood Blossoms ...... 262 

The Flowery Chariot .*.,.. 262 



acv 



LIST OF TEXT FIGURES 

FIGURE PAGE 

I -38 

2 72 

3 ' ' 73 

4 86 

5 86 

Bowl and Disks Forming a "Pagoda Top" . 89 

6 97 

7 97 

Egg Shells 113 

8 132 

Girders, Steps and Columns .... 142 

9 151 

10 152 

" ^53 

12 153 

13 ' ^53 

H - ' ' ^53 

15 154 

16 156 

17 166 

18 167 

19 , ^ . 168 

20 169 

21 * 169 

22 .170 

23 178 

xvii 



LIST OF TEXT FIGURES— Continued 

FIGURE PAGE 

24 179 

25 188 

26 189 

27 201 

28 . 202 

29 211 

30 220 

31 . . . • 227 

32 228 

Floating Ferris Wheel 230 

A Toy Ferry Boat 231 

3Z 232 

34 247 

35 261 

36 . 263 

37 264 

38 265 



XVlll 



A SOAP-BUBBLE MAGICIAN 



Chapter I 

A SOAP-BUBBLE MAGICIAN 

T T HAD been an evening of continual surprises ; 
-■- and when Philip entered the room carrying 
a bowl, two long clay pipes, a bottle filled with 
a light-greyish fluid mixture, three cornucopias, 
and a mysterious-looking pasteboard box, not 
even the wisest among the children could imagine 
what this part of the programme was to be. 
Neither were they any nearer a solution after 
Phil had taken from the box a rose, two dinner 
plates, a htimming top, a table knife, two door 
keys, several marbles, and a number of nails. 

Phil would have been overwhelmed with ques- 
tions had he not at once eased the minds of his 
astonished audience by announcing that he was 
going to show them some new tricks with soap 
bubbles. 

"Now watch me!" he continued, after he had 
about half filled the bowl with the greyish mix- 
ture. "I will just blow you some bubbles with 
one of these long pipes." 
3 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

Soon it seemed that the air was full of the 
shining globes. Satisfied with the result of this 
trial — for the object in blowing these bubbles 
had been to test the strength of the solution — 
Philip took one of the cornucopias and blew 
a bubble so large that the children clapped their 
hands for joy. He tossed a bubble into the 
air, and as it slowly descended caught it upon 
the cornucopia. The next he caught upon the 
palm of his hand. The next he balanced upon 
the tip of his forefinger. Still another was 
caught upon a broad wad of cotton. He held 
one in graceful poise upon the end of a knitting 
needle, and proceeded to play battledore and 
shuttlecock with it. Ten times he tossed this 
bubble into the air, and ten times he caught it, 
before the beauty burst. With a cornucopia 
larger than the one he just used he blew a bubble 
upon a dinner plate, completely covering it; 
then he blew another on top of the first, but in 
such a manner that the two united, forming one 
immense sphere. 

Philip thereafter directed his attention to 
the more striking part of his exhibition, and 
from this time on his performances were simply 
amazing. " See that white rose! " he exclaimed, 
pointing to a beautiful one resting upon a 
lacquered tray. "Well, I am going to put it 
4 



A SOAP-BUBBLE MAGICtAN 

inside of a soap bubble"; and in a very few 
moments the flower was sphered over by a 
bubble so large and perfect that it seemed as 
if made of purest glass. Cries of admiration 
came from all sides on beholding this beautiful 
sight. The bubble was a gem in colour, and of 
great size. Carefully timed by a watch, it lasted 
just twelve minutes and a half! 

Following this, Phil set the humming top to 
spinning, and amazed his audience by placing 
a bubble over that also. 

While the top still hummed under its many- 
hued canopy, Philip blew another bubble, and 
called the attention of those present to the 
fact that an old adage said that a bubble would 
burst as soon as pricked. "But here is a case," 
he exclaimed triumphantly, "where this old 
adage, like so many others, is proved to be 
false." Casting the bubble into the air, Philip 
passed a knitting needle completely through it. 
To add force to his opinion concerning the old 
adage, the young magician blew a bubble upon 
a plate, and then dropped a needle through the 
top of the iridescent sphere without injuring it 
in the least. 

Before the childish exclamations caused by 
this feat ceased, Philip dropped a pen through 
the film; there it lay in the plate, sure enough. 
5 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

Then he dropped another pen through; then a 
small key; then a larger key; then two nails; 
and then concluded the remarkable exhibition 
by pouring some solution through, after which 
the bubble broke. It had stood up under this 
rough ordeal for a little more than three minutes. 
Certainly the solution was never in better con- 
dition, but the unusually long duration of the 
bubbles was due also, as Philip explained, to 
the temperature of the room. 

** All put on your hats and coats," was Philip's 
next direction, "and I'll show you something 
about bubbles in a room where the temperature 
is below the freezing point." 

It was late in November. As soon as the 
little ones were assembled in this room, dressed 
as if for a sleigh ride, Phil blew a bubble very 
carefully upon a small looking-glass lying on 
the table. Twenty pairs of eyes were eagerly 
fixed upon this glistening sphere, in anxious 
expectation of — almost anything! 

At the expiration of thirty seconds its bril- 
liancy was seen to be greatly dimmed, and by 
the time fifty seconds had elapsed all trans- 
parency had gone. 

"There," cried Phil, "is a soap bubble which 
will last a year, provided the room is kept cold 
enough, for that soap bubble is frozen!" 
6 



A SOAP-BUBBLE MAGICIAN 

This performance so delighted the children 
that Phil covered the glass with a whole array 
of frozen bubbles; then he broke some with 
a pencil, and fanned the light pieces of ice, 
which were like tissue paper, all about the 
room ! 

Our young magician now resumed his wonder- 
ful entertainment in the warmer apartment. 
He began by blowing a large bubble upon the 
lacquered tray; then he blew another bubble 
inside of this first one. "Two," he called out; 
and next, as if to amaze his audience com- 
pletely, he blew another bubble inside of this 
second one, filling it, as he did so, with 
smoke. 

"Three!" shouted the children in unison. 

It would be hard to imagine anything more 
lovely than these three beautiful bubbles, per- 
fect in form, and glistening with all the colours 
of the rainbow. 

Philip was certainly outdoing himself. He 
had given his friends many pretty surprises, 
but none of them had ever come near equalling 
this one. For a while, after this feat, he just 
simply tossed bubbles into the air, as if thinking 
of what he should show next. Even this "inter- 
mission," as he called it, was not without some 
strikingly original features; for as one of the 
7 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

bubbles came sailing down the performer pierced 
it through with a large table knife, without 
inflicting the least injury upon it. He was 
evidently thinking of the old adage again, for 
as the next bubble came near to him he 
pierced it not only with a knife, but with 
a fork also. Then, holding another bubble 
upon the cornucopia, he cut through it in 
all directions; yet still the bubble remained 
unbroken. 

Phil then, apparently having decided on the 
next feat, requested, that the lights be turned 
out. When the room was in total darkness, 
he took a candle from the pasteboard box and 
lighted it. 

"I am about to show you what I think is 
the prettiest experiment of all," he said, and 
began to blow a large bubble upon the plate. 
The interest, however, was immediately awak- 
ened when he placed the lighted candle within 
a lanip chimney; and there was a burst of 
genuine enthusiasm as he slowly thrust the 
chimney that held the candle down into the 
middle of the great bubble. 

This made a wonderfully pretty sight, and 
as the rays of the candle light came glinting 
through the chimney, Philip's face was seen by 
all to be wreathed in smiles. 
8 




Fig. 2. GRADUALLY LIFT 
THE FUNNEL 



Fig. 3. RELEASING THE BUBBLE 
FROM THE FUNNEL 




A SPINNING TOP INCLOSED WITHIN A BUBBLE 



A SOAP-BUBBLE MAGICIAN 

"I must confess," he modestly said, "this 
performance is all very simple — so simple that 
any child here may perform all the pretty 
experiments I have shown you this evening. 
Some other time I will take pleasure in 
explaining to you exactly how it is all 
done." 

Although Philip had told the children that 
the candle-light effect was probably the best of 
his experiments, his crowning triumph was yet 
to come. 

Amid a hushed excitement, he took a tumbler 
and half filled it with the solution ; then he drew 
from the pasteboard box a small American flag, 
which he fastened on a stick supported by a 
bit of wire so that it floated over the tumbler. 
Then, putting a long clay pipe into the glass, 
he called to his uncle, who had been asked in 
especially for this purpose, to blow plenty of 
smoke through the pipe. 

The moment Phil's uncle blew into the pipe 
there issued from the tumbler an opal stream 
of wondrous beauty. It consisted of hundreds 
and hundreds of pure white bubbles, which 
poured down the sides of the tumbler and upon 
the looking-glass on which it had been placed. 
Faster and faster the bubbles rushed out, and 
higher too they mounted now, until, suddenly, 
9 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

it seemed, there burst into view an arch of the 
most exquisite loveHness. 

When the pipe was withdrawn the children 
went into raptures over the fairy-Uke scene; 
but the prettiest feature was to come. 

In a few moments one of the httle bubbles 
broke. A puff of smoke shot forth, forming as 
it did so a dainty, tiny ring; then another 
bubble broke, and another ring appeared; then 
the bubbles began to explode in such rapid 
succession that it became impossible to count 
the tiny wreaths. This was the crown of the 
evening's entertainment. " Hurrah for the 
United States!" shouted Philip. "This is our 
salute to the flag. Let us all sing 'America,' " 
And as the little ones raised their voices in joy- 
ous chorus, they one and all felt that this was 
the most surprising evening entertainment they 
had ever seen. 

A few days afterward Philip sent me the 
following account of how he performed his 
soap-bubble tricks: 

Before attempting to perform any of these 
tricks though, read carefully "How to Blow a 
Soap Bubble," page 38; "How to Make a 
Cornucopia," page 39; and how to make the 
perfect solution which enabled Phil to perform 
his marvellous tricks, page 35. 
10 




i»4* 



A SALUTE TO THE FLAG 




KEREOfTHJlJG[[\!T 



A FROZEN BUBBLE 



A SOAP-BUBBLE MAGICIAN 

A ROSE INSIDE OF A SOAP BUBBLE 

First pour some of the solution into a plate 
or tin dish until the bottom of it is covered to 
the depth of one-eighth of an inch. Then with 
your fingers thoroughly wet the rim of the plate 
with the same mixture. Place a rich coloured 
rose in the centre of the plate and cover it 
with a small tin funnel. Then begin to blow 
very gently through the funnel, and at the same 
time slowly lift it (see Fig. i, page ^S), Con- 
tinue blowing while gradually lifting the funnel 
higher, until you have made a fine large film 
(see Fig. 2). Then, still blowing carefully, turn 
the funnel at right angles, and release it 
from the film with a quick upward movement 
(see Fig. 3). 

This beautiful trick is so easy to perform that 
I have seen any number of children succeed at 
the very first attempt. 

A SPINNING TOP INSIDE OF A BUBBLE 

Pour the solution into a plate, and thoroughly 
wet the rim of this as in the rose tricks Then 
in the centre of the plate invert a small butter 
plate. Spin your humming top on this inverted 
butter plate, lower a funnel over it, and then 
proceed to sphere the "hummer" over with a 
bubble in the same manner as in the rose 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

trick. The larger and noisier the humming 
top used the more strikingly effective will be 
the trick. 

HOW TO PLACE THREE BUBBLES INSIDE OF 
ONE ANOTHER 

Invert a dinner plate upon the table, and 
wet the surface of it well with the solution. 
Then dip a cornucopia into the mixture and 
blow a bubble upon the inverted plate. After 
this, take a straw, dip it well into the solution 
so that it will be thoroughly wet for half its 
length, and then thrust this through into the 
bubble until it rests on the centre of the plate. 
Then blow through the straw very carefully, 
and you will have made a second bubble. With- 
draw the straw, quickly dip it into the solution 
again, and this time thrust it through both 
bubbles. As soon as it rests on the centre of 
the plate once more, gently blow, and you will 
have three bubbles inside of one another. 

By blowing smoke through the straw as the 
last bubble is being made, the effect of this 
trick is greatly heightened. Five, six and seven 
bubbles may be easily placed inside of one 
another, and practice will enable you to perform 
the beautiful trick pictured on page 54, which 
contains just one dozen bubbles. 




CUTTING THROUGH A BUBBLE WITH A KNIFE 




THREE BUBBLES, ONE INSIDE ANOTHER, AND THE SMALLEST 
FILLED WITH SMOKE 



A SOAP-BUBBLE MAGICIAN 

HOW TO PLACE A LIGHTED CANDLE INSIDE OF 
A BUBBLE 

Wet a short, straight lamp chimney in the 
mixture, and after a bubble has been blown on 
a dinner plate in the same manner as in the 
rose trick, press the chimney slowly down 
through the sphere until the bottom of it rests 
in the solution. Keep the palm of your hand 
tightly pressed over the top of the chimney 
while lowering it through the bubble. When 
the chimney is in position place a piece of 
lighted candle inside. 

HOW TO FREEZE A BUBBLE 

This trick is performed in a room where the 
temperature is below the freezing point (32° F.). 
The more intense the cold is the better. The 
bubble is blown with a cornucopia upon an 
inverted plate or sheet of glass (glass is prefer- 
able) which has been well wetted with the solu- 
tion. If the temperature is low enough and 
the air perfectly still, the bubble will in a very 
few seconds begin to lose its brilliancy, and 
within a few seconds more will become perfectly 
opaque. Then you may enjoy the absurd non- 
sense of breaking a soap bubble into pieces 
and fanning the tissue-like pieces of bubble 
about the room with a fan. Great care must 
13 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

be taken not to jar the bubble in the least until 
it is frozen. The plate, too, should be allowed 
to get icy cold before it is wetted with the 
solution. Use the No. 2 solution for this trick. 

HOW TO THRUST A KNIFE THROUGH A BUBBLE 
WITHOUT BREAKING THE BUBBLE 

This very surprising trick is exceedingly easy 
to perform, and never fails to arouse the enthusi- 
asm of the onlookers. 

First dip the knife blade well into the solu- 
tion — a long narrow-bladed knife is preferable 
and then slowly pierce the bubble right through 
as shown in the picture on page 12. The most 
effective manner of exhibiting this trick is to 
first toss a bubble into the air from a cornucopia, 
and then as the beauty slowly descends to catch 
it on the blade's tip as though you were perform- 
ing some marvellous feat of magic. 

HOW "the salute to the flag" was 

PREPARED 

A tumbler was half filled with the solution, 
and the little flagstaff fastened in place with a 
piece of wire. Then the stem end of a clay 
pipe was placed in the tumbler, and Phil's 
uncle blew smoke through the bowl end. The 
result of this was that hundreds of pretty smoke 
14 




DROPPING OBJECTS THROUGH A BUBBLE WITHOUT 
BREAKING IT 




A CANDLE WITH A BUBBLE FOR A GLOBE 



r- 



A SOAP-BUBBLE MAGICIAN 

bubbles poured out over the sides of the tumbler, 
and down on to the looking-glass upon which 
it was standing. In a few minutes the bubbles 
began to burst, and as each did so it shot forth 
a perfect wreath of smoke. 

HOW TO DROP OBJECTS THROUGH BUBBLES 

Any small object after it has been well wetted 
with the solution may be dropped through a 
bubble, as shown in the picture. 



IS 



PHIL'S SECOND BUBBLE SHOW 



Chapter II 
PHIL'S SECOND BUBBLE SHOW 

THE story of Phil's wonderful soap bubbles 
spread all over the little New England 
village; and when he consented to give another 
exhibition for the benefit of the Lawton Athletic 
Club, only Masonic Hall was found large enough 
to furnish the necessary seating accommodations. 

The bubble show opened with much enthusi- 
asm. Bubbles were tossed up, were caught 
again, were pierced, were thrown in all direc- 
tions. Little bubbles, big bubbles — some twice 
the size of Phil's head — medium-sized bubbles, 
all sorts of bubbles, were blown with wonderful 
rapidity. Bubbles were exchanged, were bal- 
anced, were twirled around, were treated so 
harshly, it appeared at times, that one well 
might have doubted whether these were made 
from ordinary soap and water. Why, in the 
game of "exchange" one bubble was tossed 
and caught twenty-eight times! 

Then Phil made the audience roar with 
19 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

laughter by comically striking a bubble with 
his felt hat, so that it bounded toward Harry, 
his assistant, who in turn bounded it back 
again. Back and forth this bubble was bounded, 
until the counting children shouted out in 
unison, "Seventy-three!" when it burst. Now 
our magician arranged twenty-four pretty gob- 
lets, while Harry blew bubbles from a sea shell, 
into the small end of which a hole had been 
bored. 

"See," he exclaimed, "how much finer and 
larger these bubbles are than those blown from 
pipes; an4 they are more easily blown, too." 

Then followed plenty of fun, as the boys 
endeavoured to place a bubble upon each of 
the twenty-four goblets. Again and again they 
managed to cover nineteen or twenty of the 
glasses; but a bubble seemed always to burst 
before the twenty-fourth was covered. Finally, 
by wonderful quickness, they succeeded in 
achieving this feat. 

Each now took a large funnel, dipped it 
into the mixture, placed the small end in his 
mouth, approached the other until the bowls 
of the funnels were not more than six inches 
apart, and started to blow. The bubbles slowly 
swelled out, touched, and on contact united in 
an instant into one large sphere. Steadily and 
20 



PHIL'S SECOND BUBBLE SHOW 

carefully the blowing was continued, both boys 
cautiously backing, meanwhile, until a great 
quivering shape sixteen inches in length had 
been made. 

Resting for a short breathing spell, Phil asked 
one of his friends in the audience to come and 
help him make a three-cornered bubble. The 
spectators laughed at this, and they were 
amused again when the boys, assuming pur- 
posely comical attitudes, began to blow. Their 
laughter, however, was changed to wonderment 
when a great triangular bubble, like that shown 
in the picture, page 30, made its appearance. 
Before the loud applause that greeted this gigan- 
tic bubble ceased, Phil blew a bubble upon a large 
tray, then he blew another on top of the first; 
both united. Then he added a third, making 
the bubble still larger, and fairly electrified his 
audience by adding a fourth bubble, which 
joined just as the others had done. Here was 
a great bubble, indeed, for careful measurement 
showed it to be four feet around! 

After a few moments' intermission, Harry 
took a large yellow humming top and set it 
spinning upon a shining tray. Suddenly, with- 
out any announcement whatever, Phil placed 
a bubble right on the whizzing toy. Round 
and round the top angrily hummed, surmounted 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

by its dome of iridescent brilliancy. How the 
bubble retained its position was a mystery ; but 
there it clung, not only until the top ceased 
spinning, but for some moments afterward. 
Phil followed up this success by making a bubble 
whirl around ever so rapidly upon an inverted 
tumbler. 

All eyes were now fixed upon our young 
wizard as he approached the steaming kettle 
which had been a cause of so much wonder- 
ment during the entire evening. 

"I want you to see how long this bubble will 
last," he said, after having blown one so that 
it hung from a cornucopia ingeniously fastened 
over the steaming spout. "You will notice 
it is thoroughly immersed in steam," he con- 
tinued. "We shall have time to show you 
some other interesting experiments before it 
bursts, I feel certain." 

This remark caused much merriment, the 
audience wondering how long a time Phil really 
expected this bubble to remain. Our magician, 
however, was quite composed. He walked 
slowly to the table, chose a clay pipe, dipped 
its bowl into the solution, thrust the stem into 
one end of a piece of rubber tubing, the other 
end of which was attached to a gas burner, and 
turned on the gas. As soon as a bubble the 



PHIL'S SECOND BUBBLE SHOW 

size of an orange formed, Phil hurriedly turned 
off the gas and withdrew the pipe from the 
tubing, Harry touched its stem with a lighted 
match, and the result was the pretty effect 
shown on page 26. The gas bubble reservoir 
exhausted, Phil fastened the pipe in the tubing 
again, and almost immediately there arose from 
its bowl a whole string of bubbles, preceded by 
one large one (see page 28). 

Putting the pipe and tubing aside, Phil 
jokingly informed the open-mouthed young 
people for the third time that the steamed 
bubble was still in existence — just as if that 
fact was not uppermost in every mind! The 
boys then had a merry time throwing up bubbles 
and catching them. Phil caught upon his hand 
four in succession. He deftly balanced some 
upon the end of his forefinger, and in many 
instances poked his finger into the middle of 
one. 

"Ten minutes!" the audience almost shouted, 
when that amount of time had elapsed since 
the bubble had been placed in the steam. 

Their excitement was only amusing Phil, 
but he pretended to be perfectly oblivious to 
it all. He thrust the bowl of a clay pipe well 
into a large bubble which Harry held on a 
cornucopia, and then blew a bubble inside of 
23 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

this large one; next he dropped objects through 
a bubble resting upon a plate, as he had 
done at the previous show; only this time, 
instead of picking them out again with his 
fingers, he simply held the plate upside down, 
and they all came tumbling out without injur- 
ing the sphere in the least. He played all sorts 
of bubble pranks; but, do his best, he could 
no longer keep the attention of his audience 
from the bubble in the steam. 

"Thirteen minutes!" they cried. "Thirteen 
minutes and a half!" "Fourteen minutes!" 
"Fourteen minutes and a half!" "Fifteen 

minutes!" "Fifteen minutes and a " Ah! 

The bubble had burst after lasting exactly 
fifteen rninutes and a half, while swaying to 
and fro in the jet of steam. 

Before quiet was restored Phil secretly dipped 
a wire ring into the basin of water. As soon as 
he withdrew it Harry placed four little ships 
within the circle, and hastily seizing a putty 
blower, blew the tiny craft about. To the spec- 
tators these ships looked as though sailing in 
the air; and they were not helped to a solution 
of the mystery when the craft suddenly dropped 
to the floor. 

For once Phil gratified their curiosity with 
an encore, the only one he had given so far, 
24 



PHIL'S SECOND BUBBLE SHOW 

and this time, after taking the ring from the 
fluid, he held it at such an angle that all could 
see it was covered by a soapy film. Harry then 
placed the ships in position as before, and away 
the fairy fleet scudded again. 

Following this, the boys with wonderful 
rapidity hung up a row of twenty-five bubbles. 
The effect was marvellously beautiful, suggest- 
ing as it did a Japanese-lantern display. 

From a spectacular point of view this row 
of bubbles was the most brilliant performance 
of the evening, and was loudly applauded. 

"Now," Phil announced to the audience, 
"we will play a game of soap-bubble football." 

Ridiculous as this sounded, it did not sur- 
prise the onlookers in the least, for they were 
prepared to expect almost anything. Two 
upright posts were hurriedly placed in position 
at each side of the stage, each boy took a fan, 
Phil launched a large bubble into the air, and 
the fun began. In the opening, luck favoured 
Harry, and he almost succeeded in fanning the 
great sphere between the two posts on Phil's 
side of the stage at the very outset of the game. 
By quick work, however, Phil sent the ball 
toward the middle of the stage again, and then 
fanned it so near to Harry's goal that the latter 
only by the most desperate efforts saved him- 

25 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

self from immediate defeat. Back and forth 
was the globe blown for a little while, until 
suddenly it mounted nearly to the ceiling. This 
gave a decided advantage to Phil, who was 
much taller than Harry, and by a few well- 
directed strokes of the fan he soon put the 
iridescent sphere straight through the latter's 
goal. 

"Yale wins!" he cried, pointing to his dark- 
blue necktie. 

When the wild applause aroused by this novel 
struggle at football had calmed, Phil's uncle 
came from behind the scenes and blew a great 
smoke bubble. As soon as this was launched 
Harry started fanning again, only a little more 
vigorously than in the football game. Never 
did a soap bubble twist and turn as this one did. 
Suddenly there was a queer flash of light, and 
the great bubble disappeared. Yes, disappeared, 
but only as a large bubble; for floating high 
above the heads of the boys were to be seen 
four small smoke bubbles. The great bubble 
had broken into four smaller ones, and that, 
too, without a particle of smoke escaping! 

When the uproar which followed this exhibi- 
tion ceased, Phil drove everybody into convul- 
sions of laughter by rolling up his sleeves and 
placing a large frying pan upon the gas stove. 
26 



I 




A BUBBLE FULL OF ILLUMINATING GAS 




FRYING A BUBBLE 



• PHIL'S SECOND. BUBBLE SHOW 

Harry assisted by half filling the pan with the 
solution, and the hissing noise made in con- 
isequence was the cause of a shower of funny 
comments. "Now," Phil began, doing his best 
to make himself heard, "I am going to fry you 
a soap bubble." This was altogether too much 
for the young people. They had been willing 
to believe anything Phil might say, but when 
it came to frying a soap bubble — no; that was 
going too far. 

True to his word, however, Phil blew a bubble 
from the cornucopia, and at once placed it 
right in the middle of the steaming pan. The 
laughter, bravos and ringing cheers which 
greeted this performance cannot be described. 
The people crowded upon the platform and so 
overwhelmed Phil with congratulations that it 
seemed as if our magician would have no oppor- 
tunity properly to exhibit this feature of the 
programme. When at last he did get a chance 
again, it was seen that, while the liquid within 
the half sphere was boiling quite vigorously, 
it only simmered outside. 

Among the bubbles which Phil afterward 
placed in the pan was one which lasted for 
fully three minutes ; and he was enthusiastically 
beginning to explain how, by means of a safety 
valv€, he hoped to make one last an hour, when,- 
27 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

with a great shout, the boys of the Lawton 
Athletic Club rushed upon our victorious magi- 
cian, lifted him to their shoulders, and carried 
him from the hall in triumph. 

HOW THREE PERSONS OR MORE MAY BLOW A 
GIANT BUBBLE 

All who take part in this trick should be pro- 
vided with a tin funnel ; and after having dipped 
this into the solution and secured a film (see 
diagram, "How to Cover a Funnel, Cornucopia, 
etc., with a Film," page 38), start to gently 
blow. When beginning to blow, the bowls of 
the funnels should not be more than six inches 
apart. If the bubbles unite into one as soon 
as they come in contact with one another, con- 
tinue blowing; taking care, however, to grad- 
ually draw the funnels further apart as the 
bubble grows. Use the second solution given 
for this trick. 

ty GAS-BUBBLE RESERVOIR 

Connect a clay pipe with the gas burner by 
means of rubber tubing. Then dip the bowl of 
the pipe into the mixture, and after this is 
covered with a film turn on the gas. When a 
bubble the size of an orange has swelled out, 
turn off the gas, withdraw the pipe from the 
28 




'^^3^^ 



9u® • 







HOW A BIG BUBBLE BREAKS 
INTO FOUR LITTLE ONES 



BUBBLE BALANCED 
ON A GLASS 




BLOWING A LITTLE SMOKE BUBBLE 



PHIL'S SECOND BUBBLE SHOW 

tubing, and quickly apply a lighted match to 
its stem. This is a very pretty as well as a very 
effective trick. 

^HOW TO BALANCE A BUBBLE ON A GOBLET 

Cover the opening of a goblet with a film 
(see diagram, "How to Cover a Funnel, Cornu- 
copia, etc., with a Film," page t,^). Then swell 
out a fair-sized bubble from a cornucopia, and 
lower this until it rests on the film over the 
goblet. Continue blowing until your bubble 
has reached large proportions, and finally with- 
draw the cornucopia with a quick upward 
movement. Great care must be taken in 
removing the cornucopia not to throw the 
bubble off its balance. Giant bubbles may 
be balanced upon an ordinary goblet, when 
their glorious colourings may be studied to 
perfection. 

HOW TO PLACE A BUBBLE UPON A SPINNING TOP 

Any humming top with a large flat surface 
will answer for this purpose. After spinning 
the top pour a little of the solution upon it, 
then swell out a bubble from the cornucopia; 
and lower this until the film touches the surface 
of the whizzing toy. You will probably be 
unable to place the first, the second, and even 
29 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

the third or fourth bubble upon the "hummer"; 
however, keep on trying so long as the top 
remains spinning, and between each trial drop 
the solution on the top's surface. A little prac- 
tice will enable you to do this trick perfectly. 
After you have become somewhat of an expert 
at this performance, thrust a wet straw into the 
whirling bubble and fill the beauty with tobacco 
smoke. This trick never fails to arouse a storm 
of applause from the onlookers, and deservedly, 
for it is one of the most beautiful of all the 
bubble tricks. 

HOW TO BREAK A LARGE BUBBLE INTO A NUMBER 
OF SMALLER ONES 

Launch a large bubble into the air from a 
cornucopia, and fan it up high above your head. 
Then, as in slowly descending the sphere drops 
to within about four inches of your fan again, 
move the latter to right and left with sharp, 
quick jerks. If this is properly done the large 
sphere will break into two, three or four smaller 
ones. 

The effect of this trick may be greatly 
enhanced by filling the large bubble with 
smoke; then this breaks into three or four 
smaller ones^ without a particle of smoke 
escaping. 

30 




A FAIRY FLEET AFLOAT ON A SEA OF BUBBLE-FILM 




A THREE-CORNERED BUBBLE 



PHIL'S SECOND BUBBLE SHOW 

FRYING A SOAP BUBBLE 

Cover the bottom of a frying pan with the 
mixture, and when it begins to simmer place 
a bubble upon the liquid. In a few mo- 
ments the water within the bubble may 
be seen to boil vigorously, while the water 
outside of the bubble film will be still gently 
simmering. 

soap-bubbLe lantern display 

From a piece of cardboard cut a number of 
disks about two inches in diameter. Pierce 
centre of each disk with a short piece of wire. 
Bend one end of the wire so that the disk cannot 
slip off; form the other end into a large hook. 
Wet disk thoroughly in the mixture, place a 
bubble upon it, and hang up. 

THE "steamed bubble" 

Fasten a cornucopia above the steaming spout 
of a kettle. Then turn the spout aside and 
hold a basin of the solution to the cornucopia 
so that the opening of this may be covered with 
a film. Blow slowly until a bubble measuring 
about four inches in diameter has swelled out 
from the cornucopia, and then quickly plug up 
the smaller opening of the cornucopia to prevent 
the bubble from decreasing in size. Now turn 
31 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

the kettles spout so that the issuing steam will 
completely envelop the hanging sphere. 

Bubbles immersed in steam will last for a 
very long time, much longer indeed than Phil's 
"fifteen-minute bubble." 

THE FAIRY FLEET 

Make a stand of copper wire, as shown in 
picture, page 30. Cover this with a film (see 
diagram showing how to cover a funnel cornu- 
copia, etc., with a film, page 38). Make tiny 
ships of wood shavings with tissue-paper sails; 
place them carefully on the film and blow about 
with a putty blower. 



32 



m 



WM-M$'tffS!M 




, Q 
w 
a. 

On 

o 

H 

W 

m 
m 

« 




HOW TO MAKE A PERFECT SOAP- 
BUBBLE SOLUTION 



Chapter III 

HOW TO MAKE A PERFECT SOAP- 
BUBBLE SOLUTION 

T70R the especial benefit of my readers I will 
-■- now give the recipe for making this solution, 
which I invented originally for Mr. David 
Belasco to be used in his dramatisation of "Du 
Barry." However, on account of the length of 
that play, the intended bubble scene had to be 
abandoned at the last moment. 

Fill a quart bottle half full of distilled or 
soft water, and sift into it four-fifths of 
an ounce of pure Castile-soap powder. Allow 
the powder to thoroughly dissolve, then 
add one-third of a pint of pure glycerin, mix 
thoroughly and let stand until all bubbles 
have disappeared. Use the solution in a 
temperature of 65° or 70°. 

After the solution has been used a few times, 

or if it fails to produce satisfactory bubbles, it 

may be freshened up by adding a little more 

glycerin. With this solution gorgeous bubbles 

35 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

can be made which will last from five to thirteen 
minutes. By heating the water in the first 
place, the solution can be made in a very short 
time. 

ANOTHER SOAP-BUBBLE SOLUTION 

Here is another and more quickly made solu- 
tion. Rub ordinary soap into a bowl of water 
until a heavy lather has formed on the surface. 
I'hen remove this lather, as well as all tiny 
bubbles, and proceed to test if the solution be 
satisfactory as follows: Blow a bubble four or 
five inches in diameter with the cornucopia, but 
don't release it. Of course if a bubble this size 
cannot at once be blown, the solution is much 
too weak, and more soap must be added imme- 
diately. However, if a bubble at once makes 
its appearance, hastily dip your forefinger into 
the solution, and then proceed to slowly thrust 
the wet finger through and into the bubble 
hanging from the cornucopia. If the bubble 
breaks as soon as your well-wet finger touches 
it, add more soap to the solution. If the 
bubble does not break when you thrust 
your wetted finger right into the middle of 
it, the solution is in perfect condition and 
ready for use. 

The first solution is by far the more satisfac- 
36 



A PERFECT SOAP-BUBBLE SOLUTION 

tory, as this produces bubbles which will last 
for a surprisingly long time. 

A WORD OF CAUTION TO BUBBLE BLOWERS 

Now let me state, once for all, and as emphat- 
ically as I can, that the presence of bubbles — no 
matter how tiny — either on the surface of the 
solution or clinging to the opening of the cornu- 
copia or other instrument chosen for the blowing 
of bubbles, is always preventive of successful 
results. The reason so many bubbles burst 
before being launched into the air is because 
of the presence of tiny bubbles either on the 
surface of the solution or clinging to the 
cornucopia itself. Once a suitable solution is 
made, don't on any account irritate it. How- 
ever, most people will insist on stirring it 
up, no matter how frequently warned not to 
do so. For some reason or other, prob- 
ably because of tiny bubbles adhering to the 
cornucopia, a bubble will burst before being 
launched into the air, and then the careless one 
will take a sort of revenge, as it were, on the 
solution itself, and stir it into froth. Then you 
may be sure his bubbles will keep on bursting 
right along, especially as his steadily growing 
impatience leads him to stir more viciously after 
each failure. Remember that under no cir- 
3 7 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

cumstances can the solution be benefited by 
stirring; on the contrary, such action is always 
disastrous. 

HOW TO BLOW A BUBBLE 

Dip the opening of the cornucopia or funnel 
lightly into the solution, and on withdrawing 'it 
slowly turn it at right angles (see diagram, Fig. i). 

If you look you will 
ijl' '""-, see that the opening 

ris covered over with 
a shiny film. Then 
\ start to blow gently 
_ ^^^ ! through the smaller 

Fig. I. How to Cover a Funnel, end of the COmU- 
CoRNUCOPiA, Etc., With a Film . ^ 

copia. However, 
be sure that you blow, and not draw in 
breath. Ninety-nine beginners out of a hun- 
dred will draw in breath instead of blowing, 
which at once destroys the film. It is a good 
scheme to start blowing very gently before the 
cornucopia touches the lips. After you have 
carefully blown the first breath into the bubble, 
place your tongue firmly over the small opening, 
of the cornucopia, draw in a long breath, and 
then blow again into the bubble. Continue 
blowing into the film until you have produced 
a fine large bubble, and then release this from 
38 



A PERFECT SOAP-BUBBLE SOLUTION 

the cornucopia by jerking the latter away from 
it with a short, quick movement. A very few 
trials will enable you to make enormous bubbles 
in a surprisingly few moments. It is a good 
idea before beginning this fun to rub soap on 
the large opening of the cornucopia, both inside 
and outside. 

/ HOW TO MAKE A CORNUCOPIA 

Take a piece of stiff wrapping paper of the 
desired size and paste it thoroughly on both 
sides. Then roll it up into the shape of a cor- 
nucopia. Wind thread around it to prevent 
unrolling, and, remove this when the cornucopia 
is thoroughly dry and hard. As cornucopias made 
in this way last for many months, it pays to make 
them very solid and carefully. Be sure, however, 
not to use them until thoroughly dry and hard. 
These cornucopias may be made of various sizes. 
A very convenient cornucopia for all-round use 
is one that measures ten inches in length, two 
inches across the larger opening, and slightly 
less than a quarter of an inch across its smaller 
opening. 



39 



A SOAP-BUBBLE PARTY 



Chapter IV 
A SOAP-BUBBLE PARTY 

TF YOU boys and girls want an evening of real 
-^ fun just give a soap-bubble party. The 
beauty of such parties is that they can be given 
at any time of the year, and are as provocative 
of jollity on a warm evening in September, when 
you may blow bubbles on the piazza, as on a 
cold winter night, when you can assemble your 
guests in the house. 

In giving a soap-bubble party every effort 
should be made to provide appropriate settings 
for the bubbles. The more elegant and beau- 
tiful the settings the more jewel-like the bubbles 
will appear. They look perfectly exquisite on 
delicate glassware and against rich-coloured 
backgrounds. Avoid, as far as possible, the 
use of white tablecloths, white plates, etc, as 
these reduce the beauty of the bubbles to a min- 
imum. The table or tables should be decorated 
tastefully though brilliantly, and a chair provided 
for each guest. In front of each chair should be 
43 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

placed a shallow dish or plate of the solution, 
some straws, a funnel, a cornucopia and other 
necessaries for the evening. Then, too, it is a 
good idea for any one intending to give a soap- 
bubble party to practise the soap-bubble tricks 
previous to the night on which the entertain- 
ment is to be given, so as to be in a position to 
amuse the invited guests. 

The chief bubble blower should occupy a seat 
at the centre of the table with a programme be- 
fore her, while the other participants should follow 
her lead and do just as she does. In this way a 
lively competition is induced by the endeavours 
of each bubble blower to outdo the others. 

A good programme for a soap-bubble enter- 
tainment is the following list of tricks: 

Rose inside of bubble. 

Spinning a top inside of bubble. 

Large bubbles balanced on goblets. 

Four or five bubbles inside of one another. 

Piercing a bubble with a knife. 

Hanging up a row of bubbles. 

Bubble resting upon a flower. 

Bubbles and noise. 

A little bubble inside of a large one. 

Blowing a pinwheel in a bubble. 

Bubbles hanging from finger tips. 

Placing bubble on spinning top. 
44 



A SOAP-BUBBLE PARTY 

Competition to see who can blow the largest 
bubble. 

It always adds to the fun and interest if 
prizes are offered for the most skilful handling 
of the bubbles. 

The pinwheel inside of the bubble, bubble 
resting upon a flower, bubbles and noise, a 
little bubble inside of a large one, and bubbles 
hanging from finger tips, are some new bubble 
tricks Phil invented after he had given his first 
exhibitions, so I will print directions for doing 
these, as follows: 

HOW TO BLOW A PINWHEEL AROUND INSIDE OF 
A BUBBLE. 

Fasten a paper pinwheel to a short stick of 
wood, and attach this to the centre of a dmner 
plate with sealing-wax; then, after covering the 
bottom of the plate with the solution, proceed 
to place a bubble over the pinwheel as in the 
rose trick. As soon as the funnel is withdrawn, 
quickly dip a straw into the solution, gently 
thrust it through the bubble and then blow upon 
the paper wheel, when it will rapidly revolve. 

BUBBLES AND NOISE 

To make bubbles and noise, dip the end of an 
ordinary tin horn well into the solution and 
45 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

after withdrawing it blow gently until quite a 
large bubble has been formed. Then four or 
five loud blasts may be sounded on the horn 
without injuring the bubble in the least. This 
is a very funny trick, which never fails to arouse 
roars of laughter. A large fish horn may be 
used for this purpose with splendid effect. 

(^BUBBLE RESTING UPON A FLOWER 

Dip a dahlia or other stiff-petalled flower — an 
aster of a brilliant colour, for instance — into 
the solution and then with a cornucopia blow 
a bubble upon the top of it. This is one of the 
simplest and prettiest of all the soap-bubble 
tricks. 

HOW TO PLACE A LITTLE BUBBLE INSIDE OF A 
LARGE ONE 

A little bubble may be made to appear within 
a large bubble by blowing a fair-sized bubble 
from a cornucopia so that it will hang suspended. 
Then dip a straw into the soapy water, push the 
wet end of it through into the hanging bubble 
and blow very gently. Almost immediately a 
small bubble will fall from the straw, and as 
soon as this happens blow with slightly increased 
force, when the little bubble will whirl around 
and around inside of the larger bubble, as shown 
46 



A SOAP-BUBBLE PARTY 

in the illustration (page 60) . By blowing smoke 
through the straw a little smoke bubble may be 
made which will add a great deal to the effec- 
tiveness of this trick. 

^ BUBBLES DANGLING FROM FINGER TIPS 

Dip all five fingers into the solution, so that 
from each finger there hangs a drop of the mix- 
ture. Take a straw, which has been dipped 
into the solution, place the wet end of it against 
each finger tip in turn, and gently blow, and so 
form a bubble on each finger tip. 



47 



THE "SOAP-BUBBLERS'" FIRST 
RECEPTION 



Chapter V 

THE "SOAP-BUBBLERS'" FIRST 
RECEPTION 

SOME SOAP-BUBBLE TRICKS FOR EXPERTS 

THE "Soap-Bubblers' " reception was a 
success from the start. 

The Soap-Bubblers — but recently organized, 
with our old friend Phil as Head Bubbler, 
Harry Baker as Chief Cornucopia, the minor 
Bubblers occupying minor odd-titled positions, 
as well as all Bubblers occupying no positions 
at all — had resolved that the ancient and hon- 
ourable amusement of blowing soap bubbles 
was sadly in need of reformation ; and, further, 
that it was their mission to reform it. 

Thus it came to pass that on this blustery 
late November evening the interior of Masonic 
Hall presented such a scene of brilliancy as had 
rarely been equalled within its historic walls. 

Never shall I forget the fairy-like transforma- 
tion which followed the signal for all Bubblers 
to begin ' * bubbling. ' ' The magician's wand had 
SI 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

hardly fallen when there arose forty-seven large 
bubbles from forty-seven golden cornucopias, 
held in the hands of forty-seven rosy-cheeked 
boys and girls standing by twenty-four little 
oblong tables. A cry of dehght swept round the 
hall, and forty-seven more bubbles arose, and 
still another shower of the iridescent spheres 
glittered in the surrounding brilliancy before the 
Bubblers settled down to the business of the 
evening. 

For this occasion every member had prom- 
ised to perform at least one bubble trick, and 
to perform it well; so that when Eddie Stark 
showed a top spinning within a bubble, and 
Minnie Sargent — seated opposite — a beautiful 
rose within another, it was only an indication 
of the wonderful success which was to character- 
ise the entire performance. Freddie Wilder did 
fully as well at the table allotted to him, while 
"Little Victor" cleverly dropped all sorts of 
objects through some beautiful bubbles blown 
by Frank Burt. Charley Tefft had a table all 
to himself, and by his funny tricks with the 
solution kept the onlookers in a constant roar 
of laughter. At another table Arthur Taylor 
joyfully fried bubbles to order; and near by 
was a delighted crowd looking at the "bubble- 
topped top." 

52 



THE ''SOAP-BUBBLERS'" RECEPTION 

I cannot tell you of all the many things I saw 
during the first hour — which seemed scarcely 
ten minutes — of this marvellous entertainment, 
except to refer to George Wingate's attempt to 
beat his own record of nine bubbles inside of one 
another. This achievement, from a Bubbler's 
standpoint, was the most important event of 
the early evening, and just before the intermis- 
sion they crowded themselves into George's 
immediate neighbourhood just as he had suc- 
ceeded in raising his record to eleven. He now 
had one eleven, three tens, and any number of 
nines and figures below that number to his 
credit, yet he determined to do better. He 
started off again by placing six bubbles with 
wonderful rapidity, but in putting in the ninth 
some broke. His next trial was still more 
unfortunate, as he failed on the fifth. The 
next attempt opened splendidly, and bubble 
inside of bubble was blown until eight had been 
scored quickly enough; then, with remarkable 
precision, he placed in three more, equalling his 
own best record of eleven; and finally, amid 
tumultuous applause, succeeded in putting in 
the twelfth bubble. 

There was much rejoicing and hearty con- 
gratulation during the twenty minutes' inter- 
mission, and then Bubblers and spectators 
53 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

seated themselves in readiness for the principal 
part of the performance, which was to be given 
by Phil. 

The idea had spread, somehow, that the Head 
Bubbler would treat them to another surprise, 
although what the nature of this would be not 
any of the Bubblers knew, excepting Harry 
Baker and a few assistants. 

Promptly at nine Phil stepped on the platform, 
and was greeted most cordially. I failed to hear 
his opening remarks, as I was seated in the rear 
of the hall; but, whatever they were, every 
Bubbler boy jumped to his feet and shouted for 
joy, and every Bubbler girl jumped to her feet 
and waved her handkerchief. Amid the uproar, 
I learned that Phil had announced that he would 
show the Bubblers how to make large bubbles 
without blowing them! The pandemonium in- 
creased when six Bubblers, with Harry Baker 
leading, formed in procession and walked on to 
the platform, carrying between them two large 
galvanised-iron pans (each measuring nine feet 
in circumference), five children's wooden hoops, 
a number of copper and brass rings ,^ two shining 
pails full of soap and water already mixed, and 
— think of it — not a pipe, tube or cornucopia 
of any kind ! No wonder the audience shouted ; 
no wonder the Bubblers waved aloft their gilded 
54 




FIRST KITTENS EVER INSIDE OF A SOAP BUBBLE 




TWELVE BUBBLES, ONE INSIDE OF THE OTHER 



THE "SOAP-BUBBLERS'" RECEPTION 

cornucopias. If Phil was not going to do some- 
thing wonderful, what were all those pans, 
hoops, and copper and brass rings for? Why- 
did he appear without a single cornucopia? 

After a few words explanatory of the evolution 
of the soap bubble from the clay-pipe stage to 
its present one, Phil dipped a wire ring into the 
solution, and, gently sweeping it before him, cast 
off a bubble fully twice the size of his head. 
Every Bubbler boy gave a cry of srxtisfaction at 
this, and it looked as though all che Bubblers 
might fling their golden cornucopias on to the 
stage, when the master of the soap and water 
tossed off five large bubbles in succession, not 
only from the same ring, but from the same 
film! 

Almost immediately Phil's assistants — there 
were five of them — followed his example, and 
from that time on the stage was continually- 
aglow with the brilliant spheres. 

Harry Baker now came forward with the 
club's two kittens, and set them on a dry block 
of wood resting in the centre of one of the large 
nine-foot pans — now filled with soapy water. 
Before the animals could move, Phil quickly- 
lifted a hoop from the pan, and in a twinkling 
covered both kittens over with a glorious bubble. 
"First kittens ever inside of a soap bubble!" 
55 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

Harry Baker announced, just as the little kits 
started to wade about within the iridescent dome. 
Phil sphered them over a second and even a 
third time, when the pussies, excited by their 
uproarious surroundings, offered decided objec- 
tions to being imprisoned any more. Then 
Bubblers and audience were treated to an 
exhibition of what were perhaps the largest bub- 
bles that have ever been made. Harry Baker 
was especially fortunate, and, at the end of, a 
very exciting contest with Phil, succeeded in 
sphering the pan over from brim to brim ! Real- 
ise, if you please, that this bubble measured 
over nine feet in circumference! Phil followed 
up this feat of Harry's by launching from the 
large hoop a round bubble measuring fully six 
feet in circumference! Compare this giant in 
size with the bubbles you have been used to 
blowing from clay pipes. As one Bubbler 
hilariously remarked, this was "more like a 
balloon show than a bubble show." Not the 
least noticeable fact was that the bubbles often 
measured twice the diameter of the rings from 
which they were thrown. Remarkable, too, 
was the ease with which both boys picked u^ 
the films with their hoops. These hoops, measur- 
ing from thirty to thirty-four inches in diameter 
when thus filmed over, flashed like disks of 
56 



THE "SOAP-BUBBLERS'" RECEPTION 

waving gold. Phil slowly revolved one of these 
golden disks upon the tips of his fingers, and a 
moment later the audience were enthusiastically 
applauding another of our magician's startling 
surprises. Here were two large elongated bub- 
bles, springing from the same film, attached to 
each other in the centre, and yet travelling in 
opposite directions, as shown in the illustration 
(page 56). 

There seemed to be no limit to Phil's store- 
house of wonders, and the spectators, who up to 
this time had been so very vociferous, settled 
down to a state of mute astonishment. "What 
will he do next?" was on everybody's lips 
Though somewhat fatigued, the wizard of the 
soap and water adhered strictly to business, and 
now requested the audience to give their closest 
attention to his next performance. With a 
small ring in his left hand, and one twice the 
diameter of this in his right, Phil slowly advanced 
to the edge of the stage, where he covered both 
of the wire circles with a film. Then, from the 
smaller ring, he tossed a bubble high up above 
his head, and as the sphere slowly descended, 
he made a sweeping movement with the ring 
in his right hand in such a manner that he com- 
pletely enveloped the small bubble within a 
second and much larger one. For a moment 
57 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

the Bubblers looked at each other in perfect 
amazement, and then broke forth into heartiest 
applause. Phil responded with an encore, and 
again a bubble, imprisoned within another, 
swept its way across the stage. As I fixed my 
eyes upon these glittering spheres, I noticed 
the imprisoned bubble strike upon the bottom 
of the larger one and bound up again. This it 
did a number of times. Phil might have spent 
the remainder of the evening in repetition of 
this beautiful achievement, but, as Harry 
enthusiastically announced to the audience, 
there were more tricks to come. More tricks? 
What else could be done? 

Fairly beaming with satisfaction at the success 
of his double-bubble trick, Phil took a large 
hoop and, dipping it in one of the great pans, 
withdrew it covered by a film. Then he held 
the lustrous disk well up in front of him and 
started to blow. Had our magician been in 
league with the spirits of the mythical North, 
he could hardly have produced a result more 
weird and fantastic. 

Starting from the hoop, first slowly and then 
almost shooting forth, was an ever-moving, 
ever-lengthening, ever-varying, twisting, writh- 
ing shape — such a form, in fact, as might have 
found existence in the imagination of Edgar 
58 




A SHOWER OF BUBBLES 




AN EVER-MOVING, EVER-LENGTHENING. EVER-VARYIKG, 
TWISTING, WRITHING SHAPE." 



THE "SOAP-BUBBLERS'" RECEPTION 

Allan Poe. When Phil and Harry, together 
with their assistants, gave themselves up fully 
to this exhibition of monsters, the stage looked 
as though peopled by one of the hobgoblin 
races. Sometimes great bubbles, five feet in 
circumference, would snap off the end of these 
soap-bubble dragons, and sometimes a number 
of very small ones. In length they varied from 
two to eight feet — that is, measurement in a 
straight line. Could all the windings and twist- 
ings have been taken into consideration, they 
would have been found far longer. 

Phil now turned his attention to the hoops 
and rings again, and drew forth storms of 
applause by some wonderful "film tricks." 
One in particular, the giant letter S, was espec- 
ially brilliant. It looked like a serpentine tongue 
of flame, and the manner in which Phil whirled 
the flashing light above his head fairly thrilled 
the audience. 

Placing the ring aside, he picked up a curiously 
made wood and wire framework, and, after 
covering it with film, swished it through the air 
with a long, sweeping movement. The result 
was a whole shower of bubbles — single, double, 
and triple bubbles! This display was very 
effective, and had to be repeated ever so many 
times before the Bubblers were satisfied. 
59 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

"Leroy Kimball!" now shouted out Harry 
B aker. ' ' Leroy Kimball ! ' ' And a minute later 
there walkea on to the stage the youngest, 
shortest, and j oiliest Bubbler in the club. 
Everybody knew Roy, and as the little fellow 
blushingly stepped on to the square block of 
wood set fast in the middle of the big pan, he 
was greeted with loud cheers and cries of "What 
are you going to do there, Roy?" 

Phil promptly began to answer this volley of 
questions by lowering a hoop over the little 
Bubbler until it lay immersed in the pan of soapy 
mixture. "Oh!" cried the Bubblers in unison, 
"Phil's going to put Roy in a soap bubble!" 
And the excited audience rose to their tiptoes. 

Amid a profound silence Phil started to lift 
the hoop ; but after raising it a short distance, 
the film broke with a peculiar noise, sounding 
like "w-h-e-e-p." "W-h-e-e-p" went the film 
again, "w-h-e-e-p, w-h-e-e-p." 

Suddenly there was a swish, a flashing gleam 
of silvery light, and Leroy Kimball, the jolliest 
of the Bubblers, looked smilingly upon the audi- 
ence from within a soap-film house! 

All of the bubble tricks performed by Phil on 
this occasion, with the exception of the first one, 
the throwing of bubbles from a wire ring, require 
60 



VI ,^ 



THE "SOAP-BUBBLERS'" RECEPTION 

expert manipulation; and beginners should not 
attempt to do them until after they have become 
very proficient in performing all of the bubble 
tricks referred to in the previous articles. 

The solution Phil used in making these won- 
derful bubbles, is the second solution given on 
page 36 — the solution without glycerin. 

However, in producing the giant bubbles 
pictured, this solution has to be in just a certain 
condition, a condition which is almost elusive. 
For instance, the same solution which will 
produce such marvellous results at one time 
may fail when used a little earlier or later. The 
solution from which Phil made his great bubbles 
lost all of its marvellous qualities for producing 
such splendid results after it had been used for 
thirty minutes. 

However, after one has become thoroughly 
familiar with the making of soap-bubble films, 
the condition necessitated may almost be "felt," 
as it were, by placing a small hoop in the solu- 
tion and repeatedly lifting it for a foot or more. 

HOW TO THROW BUBBLES FROM A WIRE RING 

Make a ring of wire five inches in diameter, 
allowing the twisted ends of the wire to form a 
convenient handle, and bind the whole circum- 
ference with strips of old muslin. Then, after rub- 
61 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

bing it thoroughly with soap, dip the bound ring 
well into the solution so as to cover it with a film. 
Now, with a firm grasp on the wire handle, swish the 
ring through the air from right to left, or vice versa, 
starting it slowly and gradually increasing to con- 
siderable speed. As the ring progresses the film 
will belly out ; and after this has attained a goodly 
size, deftly turn the ring over at right angles, 
without once stopping the sweeping movement 
of your arm, and a bubble will fall from the ring, 
just as is shown in the picture on page 62. Any- 
body can perform this trick after a little practice. 
Wire rings very much larger than the one 
referred to may be used after you have become 
an expert at this performance. The five-inch 
ring, though, is a very good size for beginners. 

KITTENS INSIDE OF A SOAP BUBBLE 

A large shallow pan, nine feet in circumference, 
was filled with solution to the depth of two 
inches. After this a child's wooden hoop, of 
slightly less circumference than the pan, was 
lowered into the solution. Then in the centre 
of the pan a block of wood was placed, and on 
top of this the kittens. As soon as the kittens 
were in position, Phil grasped the hoop with his 
wet fingers and lifted it with fair quickness, 
horizontally, high over the animals' heads, and 
62 




LARGE BUBBLES THROWN FROM A SOAPED 
WIRE RING 



THE "SOAP-BUBBLERS"' RECEPTION 

then suddenly turned it to a perpendicular 
position, when the bubble dropped, as it were, 
from the hoop. Before beginning this trick 
Phil bound the hoop around its entire circum- 
ference with strips of muslin so that not a 
particle of the wood could be seen. Then he 
thoroughly soaped this with a large cake of soap. 

TWO BUBBLES FROM SAME FILM GOING IN OPPO- 
SITE DIRECTIONS 

A hoop bound with muslin was covered across 
with a film and then slowly revolved between 
the finger tips of both hands, as shown in picture 
page 56. 

**THE GIANT LETTER s" 

A wire ring bound with strips of muslin was 
dipped into the solution, and when covered with 
a film was swished through the air, as illustrated 
in the picture on page 56. 

LARGE BUBBLE ENVELOPED WITHIN A LARGER ONE 

Phil used two wire rings bound with strips of 
muslin for this trick, one much larger than the 
other. He covered both with a film ; then, hold- 
ing a ring in each hand, he first tossed a bubble 
from the smaller ring, and with the larger ring 
caught the smaller bubble, as it were, within the 
63 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

larger film. The smaller bubble was caught just 
as one catches a little fish in a scoop net. 

THE LONG TWISTING BUBBLE 

Phil covered the hoop with a film, then, hold- 
ing it up in front of him, blew right into the cen- 
tre of the shiny disc. The blowing was started 
very gently, but as the film increased in length 
Phil blew with all his might. 

THE SHOWER OF BUBBLES 

Phil used a framework of wood and string for 
this purpose. He dipped the framework into 
the solution and, after it was covered with a film, 
swished it through the air, with the result as 
shown in the picture on page 58. 

THE BOY IN THE SOAP-FILM HOUSE 

Roy stood on a block of wood in the centre of 
the pan of solution, and Phil lowered a hoop over 
the little Bubbler until it lay immersed in the 
mixture. Then Phil suddenly lifted the hoop 
high above Roy's head, and the little fellow 
"looked smilingly upon the audience from within 
a soap-film house!" 

TWELVE BUBBLES, ONE INSIDE OF THE OTHER 

To do this trick, see "How to Place Three 
Bubbles Inside of One Another," page 12. 
64 



A YACHT RACE IN THE CLOUDS 



Chapter VI 

A YACHT RACE IN THE CLOUDS 

The fifth race to the sky and return will be sailed 
this afternoon at three o'clock, wind permitting. 
By order Harry Barnes, 
Fred Moore, 

Regatta Committee. 

A WILD cheer greeted the posting of this 
■^ ^ announcement. The rains of a week had 
given way to sunshine, the breeze was fresh at 
ten knots an hour, and every boy in the Green 
Hemlock Hotel just danced with excitement. 
* ' Hurrah ! Flyaway will win sure ! " " No ; Mro- 
liteV "It's Whirlwind'' s race easily!" and 
"How about Lightning?'* were the ecstasic ex- 
clamations which now noisily swept through the 
quiet mountain retreat. 

The actual "first cause" of all this commo- 
tion was a case of malaria. "Yes," the doctor 
had said ; " Will Dyer must give up his boats and 
live for a while in the mountains, far away from 
ponds and waters of every sort. ' ' A pretty sen- 
tence to pass upon an enthusiastic yachtsman, 
67 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

and commodore of the Junior Bay Yacht Club 
at that! You should have heard Will's account 
of his first week's experiences in this land of 
promise: How, with a boat under his arm, he 
climbed uphill, slid downhill, scrambled over 
boulders, plodded across pasture lots, and 
crawled under fences in search of a greater sea 
than a watering trough and something less of a 
landlubber than a farm hand. ** That's a pretty 
ocean!" he would scornfully conclude pointing 
to a wild vista of old stumps, stunted spruce 
trees, and gray rocks. "A fine course to sail a 
boat over!" A sea gull in a gilded bird cage 
would have been hardly more out of place, yet 
what was our commodore to do? He cared 
nothing at all for baseball, said croquet was 
tame enough for girls, and that kite flying 
hadn't any "go" to it. Something, however, 
he must find more exciting than breathing still 
mountain air; and the chance accident of wit- 
nessing a "messenger" sail up a kite string fur- 
nished a clue to all he could desire, for the cir- 
cular bit of paper had not reached its destination 
before Will bounded to his room like a deer, 
where, excepting for meals, he stayed the remain- 
der of the day. 

The next morning Commodore Dyer was 
actually flying a kite, and just as the other boys 
68 



A YACHT RACE IN THE CLOUDS 

were wondering at this unusual performance, 
something was seen to shoot up the kite string 
for a few feet and swiftly descend again. What 
this something was could not be made out from 
the broad piazza, beyond the fact that it car- 
ried a sail; and by the time the boys — ^who ran 
tumbling over each other — reached Will's side 
the mysterious craft had ceased its journeyings 
and lay in a heap on the ground. Early next 
morning Will was kite flying again, and those 
boys fortunate enough to be about had the 
pleasure of seeing a beautiful little yacht sail 
up the kite string the whole length of it, and then 
lower its sails and return to its owner again. 

Six weeks later the notice mentioned at the 
beginning of this article was posted in the cor- 
ridors of the Green Hemlock Hotel. Meanwhile 
practically nothing had been talked of but kite 
yachts. It was the theme for all day and half 
of the night, for girls as well as for boys, and the 
old mail driver was so loaded with* orders for 
cardboard, copper wire, string, etc., that he 
would gladly have sought refuge in a distant 
clime. Nor did the older people escape the 
yachting fever ; for, besides organizing the Green 
Hemlock Yacht Club, with a list of fifteen yachts 
in commission, they had purchased a beautiful 
silver cup to be awarded the winner of a series 
69 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

of races, and it was the fifth race for that trophy 
which was to be sailed this very afternoon. 
Flyaway, Will's boat, had already placed two 
victories to her credit, Mrohte two, and Whirl- 
wind one. The other boats, although having 
plenty of adherents, could hardly be classed 
with these for speed. 



It is just five minutes of three. Everybody is 
at the starting point, and every available yacht- 
ing cap and blouse is donned for the occasion. 
Bang! goes the gun. Instantly fifteen yachts 
fly before the wind amid a wild pandemonium 
of fish horns and cheers, and waving of flags and 
handkerchiefs. MroUte, with her immense sail, 
quickly takes the lead, but Flyaway is a good 
second. On they all speed before the freshening 
breeze, with their sails of every hue. Higher 
and higher they mount, too, until so far away 
that it is impossible to tell which is leading. 
* 'jErolite! " * ' Flyaway! " " Whirlwind! " * ' Light- 
ning!'' are the cries ; but no one can surely name 
the leader until the outer stake is reached. 
''Mrolite!''' scream the boys and girls around 
Jack Barnard, whose hand suddenly jerks for- 
ward as his yacht strikes the stake. The sails 
of this boat fall almost immediately, and she is 
returning on the downward trip. Another yell. 
70 



} 




p 

o 

Q 

§2 



< 




O 

I— I 
> 

o 

w CO 

J H 

Q 

H 



A YACHT RACE IN THE CLOUDS 

« 

Flyaway' s sail has dropped like a flash. The 
leaders are racing for home! Every boy and girl 
is jumping excitedly ; the old people are waving 
handkerchiefs and shouting. "It's Mrolite!''' 
"It's Flyaway!'' are the cries from every side. 
Onward they come with ever-increasing speed. 
Flyaway is gaining, and no mistake. Her sails 
are more compactly folded, thus offering less 
resistance to the wind than Mrolite's. Still the 
latter appears to lead. Now they come in 
plainer sight. If Mrolite is leading it is only by 
a few inches. * 'Mrolite! " " Flyaway! ' ' ' '^Ero- 
lite! " " Flyaway! ' ' 

* ' Flyaway! " " Flyaway! ' ' And amid a deaf- 
ening roar of cheers and fish horns the swift 
little boat wins the cup. 

HOW TO MAKE KITE YACHTS 

Cut out two pieces of stout cardboard, each 
twenty -three inches in length , in shape as shown 
in Fig. 2, A, and sew their outer curves together 
with very strong thread. Then tack two strips 
of wood, one five and the other five and one-half 
inches in length, crosswise inside of the boat. 
The. longer one of these strips fasten in position 
about eight inches from the bow, and the shorter 
one six inches from the stern of the boat (see 
diagram, Fig. 2). Now cut out two circular 
71 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 



pieces of wood each three-eighths of an inch in 
thickness, and attach to both sides of these, with 
seaHng-wax, a stiff cardboard disk one and one- 
half inches in diameter (Fig. 2, B). After this 

take two strips of 
tin, half an inch wide 
and six inches in 
length, and punch 
six holes in each of 
them, one near the 
ends, the next half an 
inch higher up, and 
the next one and 
three-quarter inches 
from the ends. After- 
ward bend these tin 
strips into shape, as 
shown in Fig. 2, B, 
and fasten wheels in position with small wire nails. 
Now cut out two blocks of wood, each three 
inches square and one inch thick, and shape 
them with a penknife so that they fit snugly into 
the ends of the boat. Then affix these blocks 
to the ends of the strips of tin, as shown in Fig. 
2, B, and at the pointed ends of the blocks fasten 
stout wire loops so as to prevent the kite string 
from slipping off the wheels. Fasten these 
blocks in the boat with tacks, as shown in 
72 




Fig. 



A YACHT RACE IN THE CLOUDS 



diagram, Fig. 2, and cut a hole in the cardboard 
bow for bowsprit to pass through. 

Make a stout mast forty inches in length and 
pass it through the bottom of the boat until one 
foot of it projects below the keel, then fasten it 
with string to crosspiece one inch from the cen- 
tre. Tie the slender topmast in position and 
flace a small wire ring at its base (Fig. 2, C). 

In a slender bowsprit twenty inches long 
make an incision as shown in Fig. 2, D, then pass 
the bowsprit {e) through the hole in the bow of 
the boat until the end 
rests under the crosspiece 
(/, Fig. 2, D). For the 
yard-arms two sticks, one 
twenty-eight, the other 
twenty-four inches in 
length, are required. To 
the centre of the shorter 
one (g. Fig. 2) fasten a 
circle of wire large 
enough to slide up and 
down the mast easily 
(see Fig. 2, C). Tie the 
lower yard-arm to the 

mast about two inches above the body of the 

boat. Place the upper yard {g) in position, and 

tie a long piece of thread to it, which should pass 

73 




Fig. 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

through the ring on the mast. Make a tissue- 
paper sail twenty-five inches in height, twenty- 
eight inches in width at the bottom, and tapering 
to twenty-four inches in width at the top. Paste 
the edges of the paper over a Hght string, leaving 
a few inches of this hanging free at the corners 
so as to fasten the sail in place. Then tie the 
sail to the ends of the yard-arms, haul it up, and 
make a knot in the lower end of the hoisting 
string. Now slip this string with the knot under- 
neath and into the excision in the bowsprit 
(Fig. 2, D), and the sail will remain standing. 
Fasten guy-ropes from the ends of the yards to 
wire loops in the stem of the boat (as shown in 
the picture of the boat sailing up the string). 
Stones tied to the lower end of the mast will 
serve as ballast. Stout wire fastened to the 
base of the mast and curved backward will give 
greater power to weight. The amount of ballast 
necessary can be ascertained only by trial. The 
bowsprit should move back and forth at the 
gentlest touch, and the thread which holds up 
the sail should fit the incision in the bowsprit so 
lightly that it will be released the instant the 
bowsprit strikes the cardboard disk. This disk 
of cardboard, about fifteen inches in diameter, 
should be fastened, in the manner shown in the 
diagram (Fig. 3). about thirty feet from the kite. 
74 



A YACHT RACE IN THE CLOUDS 

When the yacht sails up the string the bowsprit 
{e) will strike the cardboard disk so that the 
hoisting thread will be instantly released by being 
pushed against the crosspiece (/). As soon as the 
thread is released the sail lowers itself at once 
and the boat returns downward upon the string. 



75 



A CIRCUS ON A KITE STRING 



Chapter VII 

A CIRCUS ON A KITE STRING 

'VTO wonder all faces were upturned upon 
-^ ^ that memorable afternoon. What Amer- 
ican boy wouldn't turn his face upward on see- 
ing a whole troop of Chinamen careering wildly 
across the blue sky, especially when that bit of 
blue sky happened to be hovering above our 
beloved Pine-tree State? Was this a Boxer 
invasion, and were those great whirlers some 
new diabolical means of annihilation? Those 
showers of parachutes, and weird umbrellas, 
and flags, sweeping through the heavens — what 
did it all mean ? 

Well, the newspapers explained it fully the 
next morning, and then, for the first time, the 
inhabitants of one of the largest cities in Maine 
learned that right in their midst was a real "up- 
to-date" club of Yankee boys with Yankee ideas 
and a Yankee way of doing things. Singularly 
enough, I had frequently observed these very 
boys when walking through State Street, and 
79 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

had often stopped as a flood of light streamed 
through the open doorway of their club house, 
in hopes of catching a glimpse of the "goings 
on" in the "sanctum"; but, beyond the 
silhouetted figure of a member hastily entering, 
my glimpses were always fruitless. 

Fortunately, however, I happened to stroll 
down State Street upon the very day the circus 
was to be given, and when opposite the club 
house I found the sidewalk there blocked by 
boys in all stages of excitement. Some were 
dancing and wildly tossing up packages of bright 
tissue paper; others were hilariously waving 
flags and yelling at the top of their voices. 
Curious-looking frameworks were bobbing out 
of the club-house doors like so many giant- 
legged spiders, and, oh, such a number of um- 
brellas followed after — which was puzzling 
indeed, as the weather was exceedingly fine. 
Kites there were of all' kinds, and funny-looking 
windmills, and disks, and great paper China- 
men, and bunting — everywhere. 

After every club member was so enveloped 
with packages as to be hardly discoverable, 
the multitude swarmed up Charles Street and 
into the fields beyond, where the boys set to 
work so vigorously that in a surprisingly few 
minutes kites seemed suddenly to spring up in 
80 



A CIRCUS ON A KITE STRING 

every direction. What a bewildering time then 
there was for a while! The little kites zig- 
zagged all through the air, as if so glad to be 
out that they just couldn't help bumping into 
everybody and everything. The four- and five- 
foot kites tugged frantically at their strings, as 
though begging to be anywhere out of reach 
of their entangling little brothers, while the 
tailless kites, big fellows some thirteen feet in 
height, rose majestically, like great eagles, and 
as though wholly oblivious of the flying rabble 
all about them. On they all sped, big kites, 
little kites, bow kites, coffin kites, tandem kites, 
tailless kites, stickless kites, paper kites, musHn 
kites — all sorts of kites — until the heavens 
seemed to tremble with the fluttering mob. 
When finally chaos gave place to some sort of 
order, and the little kites had ceased to harass 
their more dignified relatives, a chorus of "ah's" 
swept over the fields, and on looking up to the 
right I saw twenty pretty parachutes sailing 
high in the sky straight to the city beyond the 
Penobscot. A hearty cheer greeted the next 
flight of parachutes, which were released a 
moment later, and the din became almost deaf- 
ening as shower after shower of the tissue-paper 
balloons burst into the sunshine like glittering 
jewels. Many of these were so exquisitely 
^ 8i 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

poised that in place of falling they steadily 
soared higher, and must have travelled long 
distances indeed ere reaching Mother Earth. 
Before the last shower of parachutes had faded 
in the distance, the boys set to work busily on 
the mysterious-looking windmills, and five min- 
utes later a most gorgeous spectacle broke into 
view. Just think of twenty-two brilliantly col- 
oured windmills, more than four feet in height, 
decked out with long streamers of bright bunt- 
ing, revolving up a kite string! Just imagine 
twenty -two great Catharine wheels whizzing up 
into the heavens, and you may form some idea 
of the glorious sight which blazed through the 
skies on this fine afternoon. Faster and faster 
the great whirlers whirled as they rushed into 
the perspective, until when arrested by the 
"stopping-knot" they whirled faster than ever. 
The joy of the excited crowds now knew no 
bounds, and it seemed as if the boys would go 
frantic when two and even three whirlers went 
whizzing up the same string at the same 
time. 

After a brief lull in the excitement, occasioned 
by drawing the kites in so as to free the strings 
from the great whirlers, the fun started in 
livelier than ever; for the kites had hardly 
reached the sky again when a loud roar of 
82 



A CIRCUS ON A KITE STRING 

laughter announced the ascent of a whole cloud 
of black umbrellas. There was something so 
irresistibly comical about these umbrellas that 
one could not help laughing, and when they 
fled to the heavens as though more scared 
than scared witches, pandemonium reigned 
complete. 

Now there was a scurrying to and fro and a 
scene of intense animation, as the multitude 
speedily resolved itself into excited little groups, 
where they kept bobbing up and down like 
corks in a fish pond. In the centre of each 
group was an extravagant paper Chinaman, 
flapping his long sleeves and behaving as ridic- 
ulously as other folks. Unbelievable as it may 
seem, these gorgeously tricked out fellows were 
being put in readiness for a trip to the sky. 
But, oh, how slow they were in starting! At 
last the signal was given which sent the Celestials 
off, and then what a lot of bowing and scraping 
there was! They bowed to the right, they 
bowed to the left, and then they bowed back- 
ward and forward. They shook their large 
sleeves and flung out their long queues, and 
glided up into space with all the elegance born 
of their Eastern civilisation, so many dim and 
dusty centuries old. 

When an altitude of such height had been 
83 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

reached that one might easily imagine the China- 
men to be looking into their own beautiful 
Flowery Kingdom, there was a thrilling scene 
which made every patriot's heart jump for joy 
and pride. 

How or why or where none knew, but before 
any one realised what was happening, an army 
of American flags rose through the heavens as 
if in pursuit of the barbarian horde. In an 
instant all was babel and confusion. The chil- 
dren danced and shouted. They seized banners 
and bunting and umbrellas and windmills, and 
waved them like mad. Strains of "My Coun- 
try" arose on the air, and as the shadows of 
evening crept o'er the cool earth it but height- 
ened the brilliancy of a magnificent sky ablaze 
with the hues of "Old Glory." 

Every bright Yankee boy may have a circus 
of his own by carefully studying the illustra- 
tions printed with this article and the directions 
given. 

SAILING A FLAG TO THE SKIES 

The disks are of cardboard, in the centre of 
which is inserted a spool. The light stick from 
which the flag is suspended is fastened to the 
ends of the spools where these project inwardly 
beyond the disks. 

84 



A CIRCUS ON A KITE STRING 

PARACHUTES 

The parachutes are made of square pieces of 
coloured tissue paper, and to each a small card- 
board figure is attached. A small twist is taken 
in the top of the parachute, to which is attached 
a thread. To the other end of the thread a pin 
bent at right angles is fastened. Make a number 
of loops in the kite string about six feet apart, 
and to each loop suspend a parachute. Para- 
chutes are released by shaking the kite string 
vigorously. 

THE GIANT WHIRLER 

This is made of light sticks, wrapping paper 
and string. The picture (page 86) shows exactly 
how these are put together. Decorate with long 
streamers and varicoloured tissue papers, so as 
to present a brilliant appearance as it revolves 
high in the air. 

THE PAPER CHINAMAN 

In making the Chinaman pictured on page 84, 
sticks half an inch square were used — four sixty- 
two, one twenty-eight, and one fifteen inches in 
length. These were bent and then fastened in 
position with stout string, as shown in the 
diagrams (Figs. 4 and 5). Then the framework 
was covered with paper, and on top of this were 
85 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 



pasted loosely large sheets of coloured tissue 
paper, blue for trunk and sleeves, and red for 
legs ; the head was of cardboard fourteen inches 
high, with features 
marked on with 
black paint. This 
was fastened to 
the backbone with 





Fig. 4 



Fig. 5 



tacks. The feet were of cardboard and the "pig- 
tail" of dark cloth. The flags were of yellow 
tissue paper, decorated. A ballast of stones 
sufficient to balance the figure was used. A 
series of tandem kites were used for this large 
figure to sail up on. 

SENDING AN UMBRELLA UP A KITE STRING 

Wires are fastened to the handle and the ferule 
of the umbrella and hooked over the kite string 
as shown in the illustration (page ^6). 
d>6 




p 
w 

o 

o 




< 

O h4 




W 
P^ - 
<! CO 



SPIN! WHIZ! WHIRL! 



Chapter VIII 
SPIN ! WHIZ ! WHIRL ! 



TT seemed as though everything was spinning, 
-■- and, indeed, I might almost add, every- 
body! Why, for some moments after entering 



the room it 
impossible to 
in anything 
order . In 
the rear of us, 
— and, so far 
the boys, very 
us — were a rol- 
young people, 
dancing, and 
and there, as 
had taken com- 
sion of them. 




Bowl and Disks 
Forming a "Pago- 
da Top " 



was well-nigh 
retain our wits 
like proper 
front of us, in 
all around us 
a s concerned 
nearly all over 
licking set of 
1 a u ghing, 
rushing here 
i f excitement 
plete posses- 
Of course it 



was apparent something unusual had happened, 
and happened, too, in the immense round tub 
of which we caught fleeting glimpses; but 
what that something was we could not im- 
89 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

agine, any more than we could account for 
the assembHng of this jubilant band. 

■ "Oh," suddenly cried a bright boy, who had 
noticed our wondering looks and thought to 
enlighten us, " don't you see? It's a top party! " 
and then, sure enough, the whole situation 
dawned on us instantly. Had we glanced from 
the merry faces to the many tables standing 
about, we might easily have guessed as much, 
but the clamour had been so bewildering that 
we scarcely saw, much less heeded, the trays, 
pans and plates of all kinds spinning round and 
round as if they never would stop. 

Ed Hooper had conceived the idea of a top 
party the morning following his discovery that 
out of a dinner plate could be made a top which 
would spin longer than any store top ever sold. 
Ed had a reputation for making things hum. 
Indeed, he had positive genius in that direction. 

Whiz-z-z! went the tops again before we had 
fairly regained our senses. Whir-r-r, bing-g-g, 
hum-m-m. Sw-i-s-h! went a combination of 
disks and bowl right in front of my nose. Bang! 
went the shiny pan top to the floor, where it had 
a jolly time rolling its separate parts under every- 
body's feet. Up to the ceiling whirled the flash- 
ing tins, and such a dizzy, whizzing time came 
after that we old folks of the nineteenth century 
90 



SPIN/ WHIZ! WHIRL! 

felt like old fogies amid this sample of the more 
bustling twentieth. 

Through the buzzing maze of jollity and tops 
Ed led us — dragged us, rather — to where a bright 
boy was spinning a big top in glorious delight. 

"There," he said, grasping this boy's top in his 
hands when it had stopped spinning, "see how 
simple!" Simple! Why, it was just two dm- 
ner plates fastened together with sealing-wax, 
with a spool above, and one below with a peg in 
it. Could anything be simpler? "Go it!" 
Edward shouted, as George started the spinner 
off again; and watch in hand, he began counting 
time: "One minute, two minutes, three min- 
utes, four minutes, four minutes and a half, five 
minutes, five and a half, five minutes and fifty- 
five seconds. Oh, that's not long!" 

"That's not long!" we both muttered in 
amazement, wondering just how long such a top 
was expected to spm. But our thoughts were 
quickly driven from this channel by our atten- 
tion being called to two tops, one spinning on 
top of the other. 

"Bravo, Will! Do it again!" shouted the 
boys as we approached, and the little chap 
repeated the trick. What a pretty one it was 
you can judge for yourselves by the picture of it 
on page loo. 

91 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

I could have watched this double-top per- 
formance the rest of the evening had not Ed 
nudged me in the ribs, which signal I obeyed by 
squeezing after him to the table opposite. 

Here was another surprising exhibition. In a 
large pan of water, sailing round and round, were 
three beautiful yachts running gracefully before 
the zephyrs of a plate-top breeze. At first sight 
it did not seem possible the central top could 
furnish such a wind, but as it slowed down we 
discovered that it had a wind-maker in the shape 
of a bit of cardboard attached to its outer edge. 
On this same table, but farther along, was the 
amusing top merry-go-round, with its travelling 
disk, which made the circuit of the top seventeen 
times, thereby covering a measured distance of 
119 feet. Now we came to a table around which 
a large crowd of little folks were joyously clap- 
ping hands and chuckling their delight right 
merrily. No wonder their exultant shouts 
pealed shrilly above the surrounding din, for 
what child wouldn't go into raptures on seeing 
the "Circle of Pin wheels" for the first time! 
Even before the top was set spinning the scene 
was one to delight any child's heart ; but when 
brown-eyed Paul started the top which made 
the varicoloured wheels go round it did seem 
as if children couldn't be happier. Almost as 
92 



SPIN! WHIZ! WHIRL! 

many tots were assembled in front of the gaily 
coloured disk, which whirled round and round 
whenever the top at its base was set in motion. 
This top had the unique feature of a lighted 
candle on its summit, which added very greatly 
to the effect. The children said they were not 
allowed to show this unless a grown person was 
present. 

After we had completed the circuit of the 
room, and watched the twistings of the hair- 
raising giant whirler until we felt like whirlers 
ourselves, the boys and girls formed a large cir- 
cle, with Ed and the mysterious tub in the 
middle. Ah, now we were going to learn the 
cause of the racket which greeted our entrance, 
It was evidently a boat trick of some kind, for 
we could see the floating piece of wood. The 
eagerness of every one was intense, and all eyes 
were riveted upon Ed when, with top in hand, 
he leaned over the brimming tub. A sweeping 
movement of his right arm, and all was roar and 
confusion as when we entered. What! No, it 
couldn't be possible ; but somehow a momentary 
glance through the now jostling crowd gave me 
the impression that the boat was in motion. 

"Room, please, room!" pleaded Ed, as he 
drew us through the maze of scrambling chil- 
dren. No, I was not mistaken; the little boat 
93 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

really was going around, and, think of it! 
propelled around, for it had a screw, and the 
engine that made the little screw whiz was a 
spinning top. 

No wonder pandemonium reigned! No won- 
der the children broke ranks and thronged to 
the tub 1 It was as pretty a piece of mechanism 
as a boy could wish for, and so simple in con- 
struction that one like it can easily be made by 
anybody. Ed had tried it on the river, he said, 
where it travelled ever so much better than in 
the tub. 

Of course the topic of conversation during 
the serving of refreshments was tops. Ed was 
especially ecstatic over the length of time his 
plate tops could spin. 

"Why," he exclaimed with enthusiasm, "one 
would remain spinning while we went to Hay- 
den's drug store and back again." 

"Let's try it, then," said slim Charley Hicks, 
quite unexpectedly. Charles was a wee , bit 
sceptical. 

"All right, let's try it," responded Ed, taking 
up the half- veiled challenge, and while six of the 
boys donned their overcoats, he drew on his 
own, and all prepared for the spin. "Are you 
ready?" he cried, as the boys, hat in hand, stood 
by the open door, and, in response to the chorus 
94 



SPIN/ WHIZ! WHIRL! 

of affirmatives, pulled the string from the top 
with all his might. 

Now, Hay den's drug store was fully a quarter 
of a mile distant, and as the boys rushed down 
the steps Ed suggested that they walk there and 
run back. Bright fellow that he was, he knew 
what he was about, and one could almost hear 
him chuckle beneath the collar of his overcoat 
as he thought of the eight-minutes' record made 
in secret only the day before. Past the lighted 
stores the boys rapidly walked, dexterously 
threading their way through the knots of pedes- 
trians intently hastening their steps on this 
frosty evening. A fire engine with its three 
white horses dashed through a cross-street 
ahead, and the hose cart and hook-and-ladder 
truck which followed delayed them for a few 
moments. However, it was only for a few 
moments, and they continued their way, zig- 
zagging through the fire-bound crowds until they 
reached the dazzlingly illuminated drug store. 

** Now let 's run back the other way," shouted 
Ed. It was the longer way. 

This made the boys laugh, and they guyed 
him about his faith in the tops. Nevertheless, 
they willingly obeyed his order to run. Down 
the dark side street they ran, turned to the 
right, when lo! straight ahead of them they 
9^ 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

descried the blurred outlines of a mob of people, 
flying sparks, and a dense black smoke which 
overhung everything. 

"Oh, we can never get through there. Come 
around this way!" Ed exclaimed at the top of 
his voice, and the boys hurried back again over 
two lines of hose, past a snorting fire engine, 
and out of the way of the swarming crowd. 

*' Isn't this a good joke on me, though? " Ed 
cried; and then he added, " That top will be 
through spinnning long before we get even within 
sight of the house." 

On they all flew, however, past the jeweller's 
window with its illuminated clock announcing 
that nine minutes had already elapsed, down 
another street, and finally into view of the 
crowded stoop where the boys and girls were 
awaiting their arrival. 

"Hurrah! I know I'm whipped! " shouted 
Ed, so as to be ahead of the expected gibes. 
" I'm beaten. I'm-m- " 

"Quick, quick!" came back a chorus of 
voices. " It's still spinning, still spinning! " 

" Still spinning? " gasped Ed. "Hurry, boys, 
hurry! " And leaping the steps two at a time, 
the madcaps rushed through into the dining 
room. 

" Honestly, now honestly," panted Ed, ex- 
96 



SPIN! WHIZ! WHIRL! 

citedly, as soon as he could recover breath 
enough to speak, "isn't this a joke you're play- 
ing us ? " 

" No! " exclaimed everybody in unison. "We 
thought you would never come." 

"Why," Ed announced in triumph, "that top 
has been spinning for twelve minutes 1 Wow ! ' ' 

And amid a perfect bedlam of merriment and 
cheers the wonderful top continued its slow 
revolutions until it had spun for twelve minutes 
and forty-f-ve seconds! 

HOW TO MAKE THE PLATE TOP 

Fasten two heavy china plates together with 
sealing-wax, as seen in pictures (page 96). The 
heavier the plates the better. Make a cardboard 




FlG.^ 



Fig. 



disk, exact size of bottom of plate, and in centre 

of this cut a hole just large enough for a spool to 

pass through. Use this disk as a guide in placing 

97 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

spools in centre of plates (see diagram, Fig. 6). 
Fasten spools to plate with plenty of sealing- 
wax. Before fastening lower spool in position, 
plug it with a round piece of wood, and then 
cut off one end of spool. Insert for peg a, wire 
nail, or stout wire, and file end of it to a point. 
Be sure to heat over a candle the part of plate 
where sealing-wax is to be applied, and be sure 
always to place spools in exact centre of plates. 
A lead-pencil may be used to spin top with. 
Hold the pencil upright, with its end in the 
spool, but not touching the plate (see drawing 
Fig. 7, for an illustration of the method of 
spinning) . 

SAILING BOATS 

Boats four inches long, with keel an inch deep ; 
pennies fastened to keel for ballast; masts and 
spars very delicate; sails of tissue paper; 
inverted tumbler on which top spins attached 
to bottom of pan. Top same as that used in 
pinwheel trick. Rudder prevents boats from 
touching pan. Set sails at angle shown in pic- 
ture. All fastenings made with sealing-wax. 

REVOLVING DISK 

Stiff cardboard disk, fifteen inches in diameter, 
ornamented with scraps of coloured tissue papers. 
98 




A TIN-PAN REGATTA 




THE CIRCLE OF PINWHEELS 



SPIN/ WHIZ! WHIRL! 

In centre is a three-inch strip of cardboard, 
bent V-shape (see picture). Long hat pin passes 
through this and disk into the leaves of one of 
a pile of books placed behind for support. Four 
pieces of stout string are fastened to top so as 
to project two inches beyond edges of plates. 
Place top one inch from disk, and on exact level 
with bottom of it. Piece of match stuck into 
small bit of candle will hold it in position on 
spool. When projecting strings on top strike 
lower edge of disk, the latter revolves 
rapidly. I must warn all my readers that 
boys and girls should not attempt the whirling 
garland unless a grown person is present, 
because of the risk that the tissue paper may 
take fire. 

PAGODA TOP 

To the bottom of a heavy crockery bowl 
fasten small silk spool with peg in it. In centre 
of bowl, inside, fasten a large spool. Cut a 
stick forty inches long, one-half inch thick, and 
tapering to one-quarter inch, and whittle thick 
end so as to fit tightly in large spool. Disks 
are of wrapping paper, varying in diameter from 
four to eighteen inches. Thrust these over 
stick into position, as shown in drawing. To 
spin top, wind string around upper end of stick, 
99 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

place a spool above it, and hold this while 
spinning. 

CIRCLE OF PINWHEELS 

Pinwheels are made from three-inch squares 
of tissue paper, and pinned to little sticks, and 
these in turn are attached to platter. In centre 
of platter is fastened a piece of cardboard with 
a hole in it. Place peg top in hole before spin- 
ning. On opposite edges of top is a bit of card- 
board half an inch square. All fastenings made 
with sealing-wax. Tissue-paper streamer is 
attached to tapered stick. Top is spun with 
this stick. 

TWO TOPS, ONE SPINNING ON TOP OF THE OTHER 

Lower top is a heavy plate top, the upper 
one a light saucer. In the top of a two-inch 
stick make a cup-shaped hollow. Whittle the 
other end to a point. Spin plate top, place 
wooden stick in spool, point downward, insert 
peg of saucer top in hollow, then pull gently 
and rapidly, but do not press downward. 

BOAT RUN BY PLATE-TOP ENGINE 

Boat in drawing was a piece of pine board 
two feet long, nine inches wide and one inch 
thick. Butter plate was fastened in centre for 




THE TRAVELLING DISK 




A TWO-STORIED SPINNER 



SPIN/ WHIZ! WHIRL! 

top to spin on. The disk was of cardboard five 
and one-half inches in diameter, and the pro- 
peller blades of wood, each two inches long and 
one inch at greatest width. Drawing illustrates 
mechanism of boat so perfectly that further 
explanation seems unnecessary. 

TRAVELLING DISK 

Make as shown in drawing (page loo). Disk 
should be fourteen inches in diameter. 



lOI 



SEASIDE TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE 
THEM 



Chapter IX 

SEASIDE TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE 
THEM 

T TERE are some simple toys which every 
^ -*- bright boy and girl can make easily. 
The materials used are such as may be procured 
almost anywhere and at any time, while the mo- 
tive power for setting the toys in motion is sand. 
All that is necessary to insure an abundance of 
fun is to carefully study the directions and illus- 
trations which are here given. Unless otherwise 
specified, make all fastenings with sealing-wax. 

AN INCLINED RAILWAY 

To make an inclined railway similar to the 
one illustrated on page io6, take a stout sheet of 
cardboard four feet long and a foot and one- 
half wide, and bend the lower end five inches 
from the bottom at a steep angle. Rest on 
books, and fasten two strips of cardboard two 
feet long and an inch and a half high to its 
upper end. These will guide the cars directly 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

under the sand hole, and enable them to start 
oh their downward journey straight. The sand 
box is nine inches wide and three inches above 
the incline, and is held in position by little 
sticks run through it. Directly under the sand 
holes cut large holes in the incline. Place spools 
on the front box supports, as shown inthe illus- 
tration, and hold in position half an inch above 
the incline by thrusting pins through supports 
just under the spools. Make cars of half of a 
small pasteboard box. The wheels are pill 
boxes, the back ones larger than the front, and 
are held on the axle by little gobs of sealing- 
wax placed on the axle at each side. The back 
of the car is set higher than the front. 

When the cars are finished tie a piece of 
thread to one of them, pass it around the spools 
■ — which should revolve easily — and then tie the 
other end of thread to the second car, so that 
when one car rests against the spool at the top 
the other one will be upon the steep angle at the 
bottom. When one car is filled with sand it 
rushes down, and draws up the empty car to 
the sand box. 

SAND-POWER ENGINE 

With the exception of the large wooden spool 
cylinder, the sand-power engine illustrated is 
io6 




AN INCLINED RAILWAY 




SAND-POWER BOAT AND POWER WHEEL 



SEASIDE TOYS 

made of cardboard. The fly-wheel is six inches 
in diameter. The support for the walking beam 
is ten inches high, the walking beam nine inches 
and a half long, and the piston seven inches 
and one-quarter long. The base upon which 
the engine rests is a shoe-box cover. The axle 
of the fly-wheel is a hat pin which runs through 
two upright cardboard supports, each three 
inches and one-half in height, placed three 
inches and one -half apart. The pins for the 
different parts to work upon, after being set in 
position, are held in place by putting little gobs 
of sealing-wax on the pointed ends. Fasten to 
the axle between cardboard uprights four pieces 
of paper, two inches by an inch and one-quarter, 
and turned about a quarter of an inch from each 
end, so as to hold the falling sand (see illustra- 
tion, page io8). 

Sand for running the engine may be placed in 
a baking-powder can fastened to slender sticks 
so that the bottom of the can will rest about 
six inches above the base. When complete the 
sand should fall through a small hole in the can 
on the paper flanges, just behind the fly-wheel. 

SEESAW RUN BY SAND POWER 

To make the seesaw which is illustrated take 
a strip of cardboard eighteen inches in length and 
107 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

two in width ; and at three inches and one-half 
from one end first cut a sHt crosswise to within 
a quarter of an inch of each side, and then from 
each end of this cut upward an inch and a 
quarter. Bend the piece of cardboard down- 
ward, and at such an angle that sand will slide 
from it when the seesaw is lowered to the ground 
at that end. 

Paste strips of paper one inch in width 
at each end of the opening in the card- 
board and bend backward at an angle, as 
shown in the illustration on facing page. 
Thrust a hatpin through the exact centre 
of the cardboard seesaw, and allow this 
to rest in the two-notched cardboard sup- 
ports, which should be five inches high, three 
inches apart, and fastened to a square of 
cardboard. 

Make cardboard figures — one slightly heavier 
than the other — and attach these to the seesaw 
with sealing-wax, taking care to place the 
heavier figure at the farthest end from the sand 
box, so that this end will immediately fall when 
sand spills from the bent strip of cardboard at 
the other end. 

The sand box may be placed upon a pile of 
books, as shown in the illustration, or upon 
a pile of wooden blocks, of sufficient height 
io8 




SELSAW RUN BY SAND-POWER 




SAND-POWER ENGINE 



SEASIDE TOYS 

to allow the seesaw full swing. If properly 
arranged, the sand should fall on the middle 
of the bent strip of cardboard when that end 
of the seesaw is up and slide immediately from 
it when down. 

BOAT RUN BY SAND POWER 

The sand-power boat illustrated is made 
of wood, and is fourteen inches long, five 
inches wide and one inch deep, and hollowed 
out. At four inches from the stern cut 
a hole through the boat three inches 
and one-half wide and two inches long, 
and around this fasten a cardboard strip 
one inch wide. To the back of this strip 
fasten another piece an inch and three- 
quarters long, with a notch cut in the top 
of it for the shaft to rest in. 

The power wheel is of cardboard two and 
one-half inches in diameter, with six pieces of 
paper one inch by one inch and one-half, bent 
over at the end, fastened to it. Fasten this 
wheel to the head of a hatpin. Place a piece 
of straw two inches long in a hole through the 
stern; pass the hatpin through it, resting the 
head of it in the notched cardboard. The pro- 
peller blades are two triangular pieces of thin 
wood one inch by one inch and one-half, and 
109 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

fastened to the point of the shaft. The sand 
box of pasteboard is fastened to two light 
uprights of wood, so that sand will fall on the 
paper flanges. 



JJO 



FROLIC AND FUN WITH EGG SHELLS 



Chapter X 
FROLIC AND FUN WITH EGG SHELLS 



npHERE is a lot of fun to be had out of egg 
^ shells and scraps of egg shells. It is 
material from which the loveliest objects may 
be made. Dainty candlesticks, 
exquisite fairy lamps, purest of 
night lilies and perfect dogwood 
blossoms may be fashioned from it 
with surprising ease. It may be 
made into funny egg-shell roosters, 
snowy white swans, glorious 
"Dewey arches," the most dainty 
yachts imaginable, besides a whole 
host of other objects fully as mar- 
vellous and quite as interesting. 
Big boys, little boys, rich boys, 
poor boys, may all make the 
beautiful yacht, or give vent 
to their patriotism in the erection of a brilliant 
"Dewey arch." For the girls, nothing could 
be more interesting than the "blossoming egg 
113 




NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

shells." The one illustrated was made from 
fragments of egg shells, taken haphazard from 
the breakfast table and fastened to a twig with 
sealing-wax. At a distance of six feet from 
the spectator these shell blossoms actually 
looked like real ones, so perfect was the 
illusion. 

The objects here illustrated are not the 
results of any extraordinarily patient work, 
nor of any special talent, but are such as 
may easily be made by any person who 
carefully studies the models and follows the 
directions. 

Bits of twigs, matches or toothpicks make 
excellent legs and arms. I prefer twigs be- 
cause, like the egg shells themselves, they are 
so very suggestive. The legs of the knight's 
horse are made of pieces of twigs, and so are the 
legs and arms of the knight himself. Appro- 
priately enough, chicken feathers are a great 
feature in this fun. They may be used for 
ears or wings or plumes or tails. Use any and 
ever}^ material that is at hand — the more absurd 
it is the better. 

"Mrs. Fuzzy -Wuzzy," for instance, wears a 

crepe-paper bonnet and cloak; she also carries 

a little twig walking cane. "Coco" has a root 

for a tail, and two pieces of timothy for antennae. 

114 





A WHITE SWAN 



EGG-SHELL ROOSTER 




RACE FOR THE EGG-CUP 



FROLIC AND FUN WITH EGG SHELLS 

Small scraps of shell fastened to the ends of the 
arms and legs make excellent hands and feet. 
Make all fastenings with sealing-wax, and paint 
features on your animals with ink. 

The half shells may be fastened together in 
various ways — ^^some slipped inside of the other, 
some fastened together so as to make a whole 
shell; see illustrations. The body of the knight 
is made in this latter way. The body of the 
horse is made by slipping a number of half shells 
one inside of the other, and fastening with 
sealing-wax. 

Under no circumstances cut the shells into 
shape with a scissors; just use any and all 
sorts of shapes and sizes of shell as taken hap- 
hazard from the breakfast table. In some cases 
you may use whole eggs for the bodies of your 
animals; if these should prove to be too heavy 
for that purpose, bore a small hole in each 
end with a sharp penknife and blow out 
the contents. Egg shells emptied in this 
manner will serve admirably in a number of 
instances. 

Now, boys and girls, see what you can fashion 
from egg shells, twigs, etc. ; and if a little non- 
sense now and then is relished by the greatest 
men, an abundance of it very often will do you 
young people a world of good. 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

BLOSSOMING EGG SHELLS 

To make the blossoming egg shells, place upon 
a slender branch a drop of melted sealing-wax, 
and before this hardens stick in four fragments 
of egg shell so as to form a flower. Keep on 
doing this until the branch is well stocked with 
blossoms. Fragments of egg shell do not require 
cutting ; those taken at random from the break- 
fast table serve admirably. In placing blossoms 
in position it is well to follow the arrangement 
shown in the illustration. 

EGG-SHELL NIGHT LILIES 

Night lilies may be made by first soaking a 
number of " half-shells ' ' in warm water for 
twenty minutes. Then scallop the edges of 
these with a pair of sharp scissors. Fasten a 
small piece of candle in each with sealing-wax, 
and float upon the water. A most enchanting 
scene is produced by floating these in an aqua- 
rium containing goldfish. All other lights in the 
room must be turned out. 

AN EGG-SHELL CANDLESTICK 

To make the candlestick, place upon a piece 
of cardboard three eggs, and fasten to cardboard 
and to each other with sealing-wax. On top of 
these three fasten another egg, and on this again 
a stick about five inches in height. Upon the 
ii6 




COCO" LOOKING FOR THE 
BOY WHO MADE HIM 




REAL MO HER GOOSE 




AN EGG-SHELL KNIGHT 
ON AN EGG-SHELL HORSE 



MRS. FUZZY- WUZZY" GOING 
TO MARKET 



FROLIC AND FUN WITH EGG SHELLS 

top of this stick fasten a "half-shell" which 
has been previously scalloped and place in a 
dainty candle. The illustration (page 1 20) shows 
exactly how the candlestick looks after it is made. 

AN EGG-SHELL ROOSTER 

To make the egg-shell rooster, fasten two 
pieces of a match to an egg, about three-quarters 
of an inch apart. Set the egg in position on 
these, and hold in place, while fastening lower 
ends of matches with sealing-wax to a firm base. 
Attach two large pieces of ragged shell to the egg 
for wings; use a slender piece of tallow, taken 
from the side of a candle, for the neck; and on 
top of this place a small chunky lump of the 
same material for a head. The pieces of tallow 
may be easily joined together by first slightly 
melting the ends where adherence is desired. 
The rooster's bill is made of two small frag- 
ments of shell stuck into the tallow head. The 
eyes are two tiny drops of sealing-wax. The 
comb is a piece of flattened sealing-wax and the 
tail is a ragged piece of egg shell. The feet may 
be made of sealing-wax drawn into shape while 
it is still soft. 

AN EGG-SHELL SWAN 

An egg-shell and candle-grease swan may be 
made by emptying an egg and sealing it up care- 
117 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

fully with sealing-wax. Then fasten on wings 
of ragged egg shell, tail of an odd-shaped piece 
of tallow, and neck and head of tallow. 

For the bill thrust into the head two burnt 
matches ; press in two pieces of tallow for eyes, 
and fasten a coin for ballast to the bottom of the 
egg with sealing-wax. 

THE " DEWEY ARCH " 

The " Dewey arch ' ' may be made by taking the 
cover of a deep, stout pasteboard box and cutting 
out a piece in the centre to form the arch. Then 
with tacks firmly faste'n the cover in upright 
position to a piece of board. Previous to doing 
this have ready a lot of ends of egg shells and 
attach these with sealing-wax to the cover, as 
shown in the illustration. When the face of the 
arch is completed fasten on top a small paste- 
board box, and to this fasten egg shells. Upon 
the corners of the arch place two upright egg- 
shells. Upon the top of the small box place 
half an egg shell, and upon the top of this again 
fasten a light flagpole with flag. For the lamps 
take two half egg shells and fasten them in 
position on the board about six inches in front 
of the arch. Upon the top of these half shells 
place whole eggs, and upon the top of these half 
shells. Into each of these half shells place a 




PUREST OP NIGHT LILIES 



FROLIC AND FUN WITH EGG SHELLS 

small piece of lighted candle, and inverted over 
this another half shell. Cut the last half shells 
jaggedly on the sides facing the arch so as to 
let air in for the candles. 

By painting the board black and turning out 
all other lights in the room, a marvellous effect 
is produced with the arch lit by fairy lamps. 

Make all the fastenings with red sealing-wax, 
as it adds to the effect. 

AN EGG-SHELL YACHT 

To make an egg-shell yacht, first empty an un- 
cooked hen's egg. Do this by making a small hole 
in each end, when the contents may be blown 
out easily. Then close up both openings with 
sealing-wax; join a number of coins together for 
the keel, fasten this firmly to the egg — all fasten- 
ings to be made with sealing-wax — and your 
yacht is ready for launching. If it floats pro^ 
perly cut out the mast and spars from very light 
wood ; fasten these to hull and to each other with 
sealing-wax. Place the delicate wooden rudder 
and bowsprit in position, and proceed to make 
sails of tissue paper. Fasten the main and top 
sails in place with prepared glue — the jib sails 
first to long pieces of thread, and these, in turn, 
to mast and bowsprit. Flags and pennants may 
be made to adhere with mucilage or glue. The 

119 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

exact dimensions of mast and spars cannot be 
given, as so much depends upon the Hghtness of 
the material used and the size of the egg hull. 
Select as large an egg as can be procured for the 
hull; make the mast and spars as light as pos- 
sible, and see that your yacht always sets per- 
fectly even upon the surface of the water. 

EGG-SHELL FAIRY LAMP 

To make the revolving fairy lamps, fasten to 
an emptied egg four slender sticks, each four 
inches in length. Upon the lower end of the 
egg fasten a tack, point downward, with sealing- 
wax. From the tip of each stick suspend with 
delicate wire a scalloped "half shell," and on top 
of the egg place another. Set the whole upon 
the bottom of an inverted tumbler. If rightly 
made it will balance perfectly upon the tack 
point. Place pieces of candles inside of scal- 
loped shells and light. Wire may be fastened 
to the egg shells by boring a hole with the point 
of a penknife and then passing through wire 
and fastening on the inside. 




^dTfi' I 



EXQUISITE FAIRY LAMPS 




DEWEY ARCH 



CANDLESTICK 



SUNSHINE TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE 
THEM 



Chapter XI 

SUNSHINE TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE 
THEM 

ANEW motor power for you boys and 
girls, the most beautiful motor power 
that was ever dreamed of! It streams into all 
of your homes on bright, sunshiny days, bring- 
ing with it joy and happiness and health, for 
the power to which I now wish to call your 
attention is none other than the light of the 
glorious sun itself. 

Who would have thought that the golden 
sunshine flooding our rooms had sufficient power 
in it to drive a pinwheel around? Who would 
have imagined that the dainty yachts shown 
in the illustration sailed round and round their 
circling orbits without any other aid than that 
derived from the warm breath of the star which 
keeps our earth so green? 

Why, boys, here is lots of fun for you — not 
only in summer but in winter as well. When 
the cold days are here, and your little brothers 
123 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

and sisters cannot be out of doors for any 
length of time by reason of the raw winds, 
make a row of sunshine pinwheels for them in 
your southern window, and see if they won't 
be as happy as children can be. Then, too, 
perhaps some of you may have a brother or 
sister confined to his or her bed by a slight ill- 
ness. Of course, it is helpful to cheer them 
with flowers, with books and with plenty of 
sunlight, but if the patient should be a boy, 
just rig up that circle of yachts, or if a girl, a 
few glasses of floating pinwheels, and just see 
if their eyes won't sparkle and brighten so 
quickly that it will be but a few days before 
they will be out romping with you in the fields 
and woods again. 

You well boys and girls, you, too, cannot 
play out of doors for very long in extremely 
cold weather, and then that is just the 
time to try these sunlight ideas. Only 
very simple materials are necessary for the 
making of these toys — some cardboard, 
tissue paper and string. The completed toy 
must be set so that the sun's rays strike full 
upon it. 

In conclusion, I would add that the lower the 
temperature of your room the better these sun- 
shine toys will work. 

124 




SUNLIGHT YACHTS 



THE FLOATING PINWHEEL 




X:,^^ ■SMEDIEY 



THE FERRIS WHEEL 



SUNSHINE TOYS 

THE FLOATING .PINWHEEL 

Fasten a piece of straw three inches in length 
in an upright position to the centre of a large 
flat cork. Then take another piece of straw 
six inches long, split it lengthwise with a pen- 
knife, and fasten both halves to the top of the 
perpendicular straw with sealing-wax. Cut out 
four pieces of tissue paper two by two and one- 
half inches, and attach these to split straws 
with mucilage or glue. Then take four more 
straws, each seven inches in length, and fasten 
these to the upright one about one inch above 
the surface of the cork, taking care to slant 
them downward as shown in the illustration. 
Cut out four pieces of light writing paper three 
by three and one-fourth inches, punch two 
holes in each, and place them on straws as illus- 
trated. Slide the pieces of writing paper back 
and forth on the straws until the pinwheel is per- 
fectly balanced. 

When set in the sunlight this double-decked 
pinwheel will revolve beautifully. See to it that 
the goblet is brimming full of water before float- 
ing the pinwheel. 

THE FERRIS WHEEL 

The axle is a perfectly straight stick three 
feet long, three-eighths of an inch in diameter 
125 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

in the centre, and tapering slightly at the ends. 
The spokes are eight delicate sticks, each one 
foot in length, and drawn into the shape of a 
bow with pieces of thread. Fasten the spokes 
to the axle with sealing-wax at a distance of 
seven inches from each end of it. Then tie a 
thread to one end of the axle, running and 
fastening it to the tips of both sets of spokes, 
and secure it firmly to the other end of the axle. 
See the illustration. Also run a thread from 
the middle of each spoke to its mate opposite, 
which will prevent the paper paddles from 
sagging when placed in position. All threads 
should be drawn taut. The paddles of the 
wheel are made of tissue paper, twenty-three 
inches by ten inches. Paste the long ends of 
the paper over the spokes, and the front outer 
edge over the thread. Drive a pin in both tips 
of the axle. Make two upright sticks, fasten 
them tightly into bottles (see the illustration), 
and stick pins in the upper ends of them at 
almost right angles, for the axle of the toy 
Ferris wheel to rotate upon. 

SUNLIGHT YACHTS 

Make a cardboard ring three-fourths of an 
inch wide and five feet in circumference, and 
fasten eight pieces of thread, about fifteen inches 
126 



SUNSHINE TOYS 

in length, to it at equal distances apart. Fasten 
the other ends of the threads to a small card- 
board disk one and one-half inches in diameter. 
To the cardboard ring attach masts of straw, 
fourteen inches high, with sealing-wax. The 
sails are of tissue paper pasted to the masts. 
Make the hull of each yacht of two pieces 
of tissue paper nine by three inches, and paste 
curved edges of these to each side of the 
cardboard ring. Fasten a straight stick in a 
bottle as shown in the illustration, and to the top 
of this a pin, head downward, with sealing-wax. 
Place the cardboard disk on the point of the 
pin and the yachts will appear as shown in the 
illustration. 

The greatest care must be taken to have the 
whole perfectly balanced. 

When placed in the sunlight the boats sail 
very swiftly and gracefully. 



127 



TOM'S SUNSHINE ENGINE 



Chapter XII 
TOM'S SUNSHINE ENGINE 

A ND just to think of it! the "weather man" 
-^ ^ predicted still more rain. Tom wondered 
when his engine would have an opportunity of 
showing how well it could work. "Oh, if the 
sun would only shine for a few minutes!" he 
exclaimed irritably; then burying himself in 
the big chair, he dreamed of his rambles in sunny 
California the winter previous. As he recalled 
the days spent in golden orange groves he 
smacked his lips in exasperation, and then not 
even the remembrance of the fine salmon taken 
from the Penobscot, nor the merry times he 
had passed with Rohel York trout fishing in 
the Rangeleys, could convince him that his own 
state of Maine was not the dreariest place on 
earth. 

Tom's sunshine engine was a contrivance of 
his own, and he was very proud of it. It con- 
sisted of a stiff writing-paper fly-wheel eight 
inches in diameter, a paper flanged wheel, straw 
131 




NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

uprights to support the straw walking-beam 
and the axle, a split-straw driving-rod and 
piston, and a paper cylinder. The two upright 
straw supports for the flanged driving-wheel 
each measured five inches in length, and these 

were fastened to a 
discarded glass 
negative with sealing- 
wax— a bsolutely 
perpendicular, you 
may be sure. The 
engine was Tom's 
invention, and, 
for the benefit of other boys who might wish to 
make one like it, I will tell you how Tom made 
his. He began by making a flanged driving- 
wheel. To do this he pricked three holes in 
a strip of paper, one for the pin, another one 
and one-half inches from this, and a third one- 
half inch further on from the first one. Then, 
laying this strip on a sheet of stiff writing paper, 
he pressed a pin through the first hole, placed a 
pencil point in the second and described a circle, 
and then placed the pencil in the third hole and 
described another circle. After this he marked 
off the outer circle with a pencil at about every 
three-sixteenths of an inch. On every mark 
he cut a slit toward the exact centre of the disk 
132 



TOM'S SUNSHINE ENGINE 

as far as the inner pencil circle, not a hairbreadth 
farther. Then, holding the disk ever so gently, 
he turned one little cut projection in one direc- 
tion, and the next in the opposite, just as you 
see in Fig. 8. 

He then made of very stiff writing paper a 
wheel eight inches in diameter, over the centre 
of which, on both sides, he pasted a small circle 
of cardboard to stiffen the wheel where the axle 
came through. 

Straw uprights, he found, were ever so 
much better than wooden ones, and he 
strove with all the care possible as he stuck 
the needles into the uprights. Through each 
of these two vertical straws he thrust a needle 
at an acute angle upward, and just above where 
these entered he thrust in another at exactly 
right angles to each straw. Then through the 
exact centre of the flanged wheel he put a 
"stickpin," and on the point of this he pressed 
the large wheel. Then he laid this stickpin 
with its two wheels on the projecting needles. 

Now he fastened a long straw upright in 
position, and attached the straw cross-beam 
to it with a pin, so that it worked without 
the slightest friction. To each end of 
the cross-beam he suspended a split straw, 
one to serve as a piston, the other as a 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

driving rod. A bent pin was stuck through the 
crank rod and into the fly-wheel. The holes 
pierced in the straws were large enough to pre- 
vent any but the slightest friction, yet not so 
large as to permit the pinheads to come through. 
The dangling piston was allowed to move up 
and down in a writing-paper cylinder. 

When the engine was completed Tom's eyes 
fairly gleamed with satisfaction, and little Gyp 
just barked and jumped at him as though she 
were equally pleased. 

Then Tom went to work on the ''power plant," 
as he called it, for as a matter of fact the part 
that we have just described as if it were the 
"engine" is in reality the "load," or the driven 
part; it was Tom's joke that made it appear as 
if the load were driving the engine. 

We will now describe the "sure-enough" 
engine — the part that Tom said really "did the 
business." 

He attached a square bit of cardboard to 
one end of a knitting needle with plenty of 
sealing-wax, and then with more sealing-wax 
fastened straws on top of this at exactly the 
same distances apart. Over these straws he 
drew half-sheets of writing paper, and fastened 
these in position with sealing-wax, so that 
they should all remain at the same angle. 
134 



TOM'S SUNSHINE ENGINE 

Then he stuck a circle of pins around a sHce of 
a large cork, so that they formed oblique angles 
upward. Then, just above where these pierced 
the cork, he placed another circle of pins at 
oblique angles downward. He used a wooden 
upright, to the top of which he attached one 
end of a piece of cardboard at right angles, as 
shown in the picture. Near the projecting end 
of this cardboard he bored a hole, and about 
this fastened three needles with sealing-wax, 
so as to form a small triangle for the vertical 
knitting needle to revolve in. He also fastened 
a bit of cardboard with a hole in it to the neg- 
ative upon which the wooden upright was 
fastened, and placed three needles across this 
also, so as to form a triangle directly under the 
upper one. Then, to avoid any chance of friction, 
he sharpened the lower end of the knitting 
needle with coarse sandpaper. This done, he 
lowered the point of the knitting needle down 
through the opening in the horizontal cardboard 
strip, pressed the point of it exactly through the 
centre of the cork wheel, and lowered it again 
until the sharp tip rested on the glass negative, 
Nothing remained but to connect the cork 
wheel and the paper-fianged wheel of the other 
"engine" with a piece of thread hanging rather 
loosely, as shown in picture. 
135 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

And now, if the sun would only shine! Tom's 
engine stood right in front of the large south 
window, a gem of careful workmanship, but as 
motionless as though it were never intended to 
move. The clouds still scudded rapidly north- 
ward as the boy hurried to school the next 
morning, and not a sign could he detect of 
'clearing weather. 

"I say, Tom, why did you stop in the middle 
of that reading lesson," exclaimed Harry Baker 
after school, "and right in the middle of a sen- 
tence, too?" 

"Well, you come along with me, and I'll 
show you why I stopped," retorted Tom, some- 
what nettled at having so much fun poked at 
him. "Only hurry up," he added on reaching 
the lower steps, "for I am going to run." Run 
they did, and in an incredibly short time Tom 
had thrown open the door of his sunny room. 

"But what makes it go, Tom, what makes 
it go?" repeated Harry Baker, excitedly, as 
they gazed on the remarkable piece of mechan- 
ism. 

"What do you think makes it go?" said Tom, 
proudly, and with a slight air of mystery. 

Harry scratched his head and tried to solve 
the puzzle. He looked first on one side of the 
engine, then on the other, then under the table, 
136 




THE "ENGINE," SHOWING FLY-WHEEL AND 
FLANGED DRIVING-WHEEL 




THE SUNSHINE ENGINE 
COMPLETE 



-^^^ 



TOM'S SUNSHINE ENGINE 

and then unconsciously reached out his hand as 
though groping for invisible threads. 

"I'll give it up," he said after a few minutes. 
'.'Tell me, tell me, what does make it go?" 

"Sunlight!" shouted Tom, whose exuberance 
now burst forth in a wild hilarity. And while 
the little fly-wheel revolved just like that of a 
real engine, exultant Tom went on to explain 
the details of his wonderful mechanism, which, 
as he had told Harry, was run by no other power 
than the heat rays arise from the glorious sun- 
shine itself. 

Any boy reader may build sunshine engines 
for himself by carefully following Tom's method 
of working; be sure, however, to bend all your 
energies to the work as did this young inventor, 
for then you will succeed, and the sunshine will 
run your little engine for you day after day and 
week after week. 



137 



HOW TO HAVE FUN WITH OLD NEWS- 
PAPERS 



Chapter XIII 

HOW TO HAVE FUN WITH OLD NEWS- 
PAPERS 

"pY the simplest of means the bulky sections 
-^ of colour and advertisements of our daily- 
newspapers may, after they have served their 
purpose, be made to furnish an immense amount 
of amusement and supply children, as well as 
older folks, with a source of enjoyment as novel 
as it is interesting and profitable. 

Think of it, too: a single copy of one of the 
large newspapers more than suffices to furnish 
the necessary building material for all the objects 
pictured on page 142. Therefore do not throw 
your old newspapers away so quickly here- 
after, for there is more fun to be had out of 
them than you probably have ever dreamed 
of. 

A sheet of newspaper rolled into a tube, and 

fastened together at intervals of about four 

inches with sealing-wax, is quite stiff, and 

capable of bearing a surprising amount of weight. 

141 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 



n 



This you can easily demonstrate for yourselves. 
Then, too, these tubes lend themselves most 
admirably to architectural forms — in fact, there 
seems to be no limit to their usefulness in this 
respect. For instance, look at the illustrations 
of the "Brooklyn Bridge" and 
the "Greek Temple" as 
samples of newspaper archi- 
tecture. While these pictures 
give an idea of what may 
be done, they do not begin to 
do justice to the originals. 

Let me tell you just how to 
go to work with this newspaper 
architecture. In the first place, 
all fastenings are made with 
sealing-wax. Begin by making 
a lot of paper tubes of various 
sizes and thicknesses. The diameter of some of 
the tubes should be two inches across, and of 
others only one inch. Then, too, make some of 
the tubes of one sheet of paper, and some of two 
or more sheets, as circumstances may require. 
Roll some lengthwise of the paper and some cross- 
wise, so that you will have tubes of different 
lengths. Once provided with plenty of building 
material you may proceed to work without 
interruption. 

142 




Girders, Steps and 
Columns 



^^^TT i * %^^S^H 




r^ 


1 


1 


1 


1 










GREEK TEMPLE 



PERSPECTIVE VIEW 
OF PAPER BRIDGE 




THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE 



FUN WITH OLD NEWSPAPERS 

A NEWSPAPER TABLE 

To make a table similar to the one illus- 
trated, use four large tubes connected with 
each other at the top and near the bottom with 
smaller tubes, joining them together with 
sealing-wax. If you have been careful in mak- 
ing the tubes and in joining them together you 
will have a table that will stand perfectly 
straight. A funny tablecloth may easily be 
made from the coloured supplement of a news- 
paper. 

Other pieces of furniture may be made in 
the same way if there is a supply of tubes 
on hand. 

A NEWSPAPER "BROOKLYN BRIDGE" 

The newspaper "Brooklyn Bridge" may seem 
from the picture of it to be quite a difficult 
undertaking, but it is nothing more than a 
number of tubes fastened to each other with 
sealing-wax. The making of the newspaper 
tubes is practically all there is to this work, and 
with plenty of these on hand you can make 
almost anything your fancy dictates. 

The towers of the "Brooklyn Bridge" are 
made on the same principle as the back of the 
old-time chair which is illustrated 

The slight differences between them are shown 
M3 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

in the diagram. It adds to the stabiHty of 
the towers to make the upright tubes of four 
thicknesses of newspaper. 

When the towers are completed stand them 
apart at a distance of about eight feet from 
each other, and proceed to make the two long 
tube girders which are to stretch from pier to 
pier. These long tubes are made by slightly 
telescoping a number of smaller tubes into each 
other until the required length is reached. 
Fasten all of these tubes firmly together with 
sealing-wax. 

Now set in place the cables which will hold 
the long tubes firmly in position. Fasten the 
cables to the spanning tubes and to the inside 
of the tower tops, as shown. 

When this is done lay a number of short tubes 
across the two spanning ones. It will not be 
necessary to fasten these in place. Over the 
short tubes lay long strips of newspaper to form 
a pathway. You can easily make a newspaper 
flagpole with a newspaper flag attached to it. 

There is no real difficulty whatever in con- 
structing this bridge. All that is needed is to 
make the newspaper tubes, fasten them to each 
other and place in position as shown in the 
illustration. 

The picture of the bridge gives a much better 
144 




TABLE AND CLOTH 




A NEWSPAPER CHAIR 



FUN WITH OLD NEWSPAPERS 

idea of what to do than any set of directions 
possibly could. 

"greek temple" made from newspapers 

The illustrations and diagrams of the "Greek 
Temple" show perfectly how this pretty piece of 
architecture is made, 

I would suggest that whenever possible the 
picture sheets of the newspapers should be util- 
ised where decoration is needed, as their use 
heightens the effect of the whole very greatly. 

In all cases carefully follow the illustrations 
and you cannot go wrong. 

A newspaper chair 

For the fun of it I made a newspaper imita- 
tion of an old-time rush-bottom chair, and it 
turned out so wonderfully realistic that it 
looked for all the world like a real chair covered 
with paper. Just how realistic it was you may 
judge from the reproduced photograph of it 
(page 144). Repeatedly visitors to my studio 
have carelessly placed numerous articles upon it, 
and more than once have absent-mindedly 
started to sit down upon my piece of newspaper 
furniture. 

To make the chair, take four of the large 
tubes of two sheets* thickness, and make two 
145 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

long tubes of them by sliding one into the 
other for the distance of an inch and fastening 
them firmly together with sealing-wax. These 
are for the back of the chair. Now lay these 
on the floor perfectly parallel to each other and 
proceed to fasten the smaller tubes to them. 
First, cut these tubes with a pair of scissors, 
however, so that they will measure in length 
the width of an ordinary chair. If you happen 
to possess an old-fashioned rush-bottom chair, 
use it for all measurements as well as for a 
model. The one illustrated is three feet and 
a half high. 

Like the other newspaper ideas, this chair is 
so simple in construction that a bright boy can 
easily make one like it. 

After you have cut the small tubes of the 
required size fasten one of them crosswise to, 
and eighteen inches from, the bottom of the 
large tubes. This is where the seat of your 
chair will come. Then fasten the lower rung 
in position in the same relative place as in an 
ordinary chair. To the top of the large tubes 
fasten a sheet of newspaper which should have 
been previously folded into shape like the square 
girder shown in the diagram (page 144). Place 
the back rungs in position as shown in the 
picture of the chair. These back rungs should 
146 



FUN WITH OLD NEWSPAPERS 

be very delicate, as they give a light and dainty 
appearance to the chair. 

The back of your chair is now completed, 
and after standing it up against the wall set 
the front legs in position at the same distance 
from the back ones as in an ordinary chair. 
Fasten one end of a small tube to each of the 
back legs and on a level with the seat, and 
fasten the other ends to the front legs. Also 
put in another tube exactly on the same level, 
to connect the front legs to each other. Place 
the rungs in position as shown in the illustration. 

For the seat take three or four thicknesses 
of paper cut square; crease them diagonally 
from all corners, and fasten in position as shown 
in the illustration. This creased seat adds very 
much to the effectiveness of the chair, especially 
if it be made of the coloured supplement. 



147 



HOW TO MAKE A PAPER YACHT THAT 
WILL SAIL 



Chapter XIV 

HOW TO MAKE A PAPER YACHT THAT 
WILL SAIL 

T TERE is an opportunity for every boy to 
■*- -^ make a boat, whether he knows anything 
about boat building or not. 

For convenience sake we will commence to 
build this boat in a way slightly different from 
that usually employed. Instead of proceeding 
at once to work on the hull we will begin 
with the spars. Let us start on the largest 
spar first, the mainmast. 
Cut out a long strip of 
stout wrapping paper 
three inches wide, thor- 
oughly cover it with Fj^,, g 
paste on both sides, and 

then start to roll it into a long, tapering spiral 
tube twenty -three inches in length (see diagram, 
Fig. 9). At its widest end this tube should 
measure three-fourths of an inch in diameter 
and about one-eighth of an inch less at the 
151 




NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

other end. When you have done this carefully, 
tie a piece of thread around the small end, to 
prevent its unrolling, and set in a corner to dry. 
Then make the topmast of paper in the same 
way. This should be fourteen inches in length, 
while its diameter at the base should be that of 
the smaller end of your mainmast and tapering 

off to a point. Make a 

() ^ ^ ^"N" \ boom twenty - two 

— inches in length, and 

of the same diameter 
as the mainmast. The gaff should be sixteen 
inches in length, with a diameter of one-half inch. 
The bowsprit measures seven inches in length, 
with a diameter of five-eighths of an inch at its 
larger end, and tapering slightly toward its tip. 
Put the spars aside until they are thoroughly 
dry, which will take some time, and then plug 
the ends of all of them, excepting the lower end 
of ' the mainmast, with sealing-wax. Cut two 
long slits in the lower end of the mainmast, on 
opposite sides, each about three inches in length 
(see Fig. lo). The purpose of these slits I will 
explain further on. 

While the spars are drying start to work on 

the hull, and as follows: Cut out a piece of 

stiff cardboard six inches in width and thirty 

inches in length. Then draw a pencil line down 

152 



A PAPER YACHT THAT WILL SAIL 

its long centre. With a foot-rule intersect this 
line every three inches, and at each intersection 
measure off to the right and left the distances 
in inches as marked in diagram (Fig. ii). After 



« ', 



u- 3 -V- 



•I- - 

Fig. II 



Ml 



-h21*| ; ♦2\ 

*2\-^;--- -/ r2ir 
V2i^- -■-/ HsV 



Fig, 12 




Fig. 13 



Fig. 



this take a lead pencil and draw a line connecting 
these distance points with each other, which 
will give you the curved lines for your deck. 
Cut out on these curved lines with a pair of 
sharp scissors, and also in exact centre of deck, 
153 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

and at a distance of ten inches from the bow 
cut a hole three-fourths of an inch in diameter. 
Through this hole your mainmast will pass later 
on, 

Now take another piece of cardboard the 
same length as the deck and three inches in 
width, and mark this off also into three-inch 

sections, as shown in 



n 


i 
1 


"^ 


Fig. 12. This centre 
piece, for such I 
shall call it, is 
straight on one side 


Fi( 


iiS 




and curved on the 
other. 



Now lay your deck fiat down on the table 
and lay the straight edge of the centre piece 
exactly on the marked pencil line and at right 
angles to it (see Fig. 15). When perfectly upright 
fasten it to the deck with plenty of sealing-wax. 
The ribs are made of cardboard one-half inch 
wide, and of length as marked in diagram (Fig. 
13). There are two sets of them, nine on a side. 
The figures in the diagram denote measurements 
from centre piece to tips of ribs, and as you will 
see on looking the first rib measures two and 
one-fourth inches, the second three and one- 
half, the third four, and so forth. Fasten these 
ribs, first to the centre piece on the intersected 
154 



A PAPER YACHT THAT WILL SAIL 

pencil marks, which will be a distance of three 
inches from each other. When sealing-wax is 
dry bend the ribs over to the edge of the deck 
and fasten there again with sealing-wax (see 
diagrams, Figs. 13 and 15). 

Before going any farther, take your dried 
mainmast and lower it through a hole in deck 
so that it will straddle the centre piece. The 
slits in the mast should be long enough to allow 
it to reach the bottom of the centre piece. 
When in a perfectly upright position fasten it 
securely in place with plenty of sealing-wax. 

Now cut out a dozen strips of wrapping paper, 
each thirty inches in length, about three-fourths 
of an inch wide in the middle and tapering to 
each end, and fasten them tautly over the ribs 
with little dabs of sealing-wax (see diagram, 
Fig. 14). This will serve as a sort of sheathing, 
so to speak. If a dozen strips should not be 
sufficient, cut out more, for the ribs must be 
thoroughly covered up. After this take a 
quantity of strips of newspaper, each one foot 
long and one inch wide, and paste these with 
flour paste over the sheathing until this in turn 
is completely hidden. When this is thoroughly 
dry put on another layer of newspaper strips, 
and let that dry, and so on until you have put 
on five or six layers. These strips may be 
15s 




NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

pasted on in any direction, provided they do not 
form wrinkles, and care should be taken to lap 
many of them over the deck for about an inch, 
so as to make the yacht perfectly water-tight. 
The keel is made of a piece of cardboard about 
five inches wide and fourteen inches long, and 
shaped as shown in dia- 
gram (Fig. 1 6). Fasten 
this to the hull by past- 
ing long strips of paper 

Fig. i6 .-.,.. 

to it and to the hull. 
Put on plenty of thesestrips, so that when dry 
your keel will be perfectly solid. 

When you are sure your boat is thoroughly 
dry, varnish it all over with paper varnish. Put 
on two or three coats of varnish. Your yacht is 
now completed, and all that remains to be done 
is to put on the spars in position, as shown in 
illustration (page 114). Tie the boom and gaff 
to the mast with strong thread, so that they will 
swing freely. Fasten the bowsprit and topmast 
in position with plenty of sealing-wax. Fasten 
three threads from the mast to the bowsprit, 
as shown in the illustration, and paste the 
edges of jibsails over these. The sails should 
be made of very light paper, cut out in shape ii 
as shown in picture, and fastened to spars with 
mucilage. 

156 



A PAPER YACHT THAT WILL SAIL 

Finally cut a small hole in the centre of deck 
just back of the mainmast, and pour in sand 
for ballast. After ballast has been placed in, 
stick a cork in the hole to keep the water out. 
Enough ballast should be put in so as to sink 
the boat to within an inch of the deck. 



157 



KITES WITHOUT STICKS 



Chapter XV 
KITES WITHOUT STICKS 

THERE, that makes the fifth stick to 
break!" cried Freddie Burt. "I don't 
believe there's a straight-grained piece of wood 
in the whole country!" 

Freddie was down on his luck; any boy 
would have been under the circumstances. 
"Why can't kites be made without sticks?" lie 
added, peevishly, as he flung himself upon a 
heap of shavings; then, suddenly realising the 
meaning of these words, he jumped to his feet 
and exclaimed excitedly, ''Why — why can't 
kites be made without sticks?" 

Kites without sticks! The idea set Freddie 
trelmbling with excitement. Of course kites 
could be made without sticks in these days 
when people were making everything out of 
nothing. But then — but then, what was to be 
used in place of the little strips of wood? This 
was a poser. Freddie scratched his head and 
stared at the pile of shavings. Then his eyes 
i6i 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

shifted to a paper bucket that sat in one corner 
of the shop, and then came the idea! 

Why couldn't he use paper instead of wood? 
People made buckets out of paper, and car wheels 
out of paper, why not kite sticks? They could, 
of course. But how? Freddie thought and 
thought about this, his forehead wrinkled and 
his bright eyes fastened on the pile of shavings. 
Suddenly his face brightened. "I've got it!"- 
he cried, excitedly; and he eagerly pulled down 
several sheets of wrapping paper from the shelf 
above his work bench. He seized a pair of 
scissors, and from one of these, the heaviest, 
he cut off a long, narrow strip and creased it 
down the middle. Then he trimmed another 
of the sheets, a lighter one, to the shape of a 
kite, and upon this he securely pasted the 
creased strip. 

"Now, if that'll only be a success," he 
said, eyeing his handiwork anxiously. "But 
I'll have to wait until it dries before I can 
tell." 

Freddie thought the paste never would dry; 
but it did, and he found that his experiment 
was a success. He had discovered how to make 
a perfectly stiff backbone out of paper. 

Thoughts of inventing a new kite — a kite 
lighter and more easily constructed than other 
162 



KITES WITHOUT STICKS 

kites, and, what was more, a kite without sticks 
— kept Freddie so excited that he hardly slept 
a wink the entire night. Before daylight had 
come he had planned three different kites, and 
long before anyone else in the house had stirred 
he was out in the little carpenter shop hard at 
work upon the first one. 

"Why, I feel just like a real inventor," he 
said, as the breakfast bell called him away from 
his paste and paper; and, feeling very much 
like a young Edison, he strode importantly into 
the dining room. 

By noon the three kites which he had planned 
while he should have been quietly sleeping were 
completed; and then began the tedious wait 
for them to dry. Freddie wanted to try them 
that same afternoon, but he feared that the 
paste had not yet thoroughly hardened. How- 
ever, there was a "kite flying" the following 
day from the top of Prospect Hill, and you 
may be sure that Freddie and his three kites 
were there. As usual^ there was much rivalry 
among the boys as to which one of them could 
get a kite up first. 

■ In a few minutes all the boys were watching 

their sailing kites; all except Freddie, who for 

some reason was very slow. Eddie Miller, who 

stood nearest to Freddie, and whose kite was 

163 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

now soaring above all the others, turned upon 
him and began to laugh. 

"What's the matter — gone to sleep?" he 
asked. 

Freddie made no reply, but calmly started 
up one of his kites, and Eddie's eyes shifted 
from Freddie to the two odd-looking objects 
lying on the ground near him. 

" Say, what make of sticks do you call those? " 
he shouted out, excitedly. 

"Paper sticks," Freddie answered, proudly, 
as his kite arose slowly upon the breeze. 

"What's that? Paper?" cried all the boys, 
eagerly crowding about Freddie to examine the 
curiosities. In their excitement they imme- 
diately forgot all about their own kites, every 
one of which were soon in a hopeless tangle. 

"Whoever heard tell of paper sticks?" scorn- 
fully laughed Eddie Miller. "You're crazy, 
Freddie ! ' ' And he winked at some of the others, 
who joined in his laugh. 

"Perhaps I am," said Freddie. It came to 
him suddenly that other great inventors had 
been called crazy, too, and the application of 
the same word to him made him feel even more 
like an inventor than he had before. 

"You've never heard of paper sticks before," 
Freddie went on, calmly, "because they were 
164 



KITES WITHOUT STICKS 

never made before. I am the inventor. These 
are the first kites that were ever made with 
paper sticks." 

" He's an inventor, boys ; did you hear that ? ' ' 
And Eddie Miller looked at him with mock 
admiration. 

The boys who had laughed at Eddie before 
laughed again. "My, but he's smart!" they 
said, copying their leader's looks. 

"All the same the kites are all right," Freddie 
insisted, stoutly. 

"But will they fly?" the crowd asked, dubi- 
ously. 

"There's one of them," returned Freddie, 
nodding at the kite that was now rising higher 
and higher. "And the other two — of course 
they'll fly!" 

And they did. For the remainder of the 
afternoon there were just three kites flown, and 
those three were Freddie's. The boys lost all 
interest in kites made with wooden sticks, and 
could talk only about those stiffened with paper. 
Even Eddie Miller and the boys who had laughed 
when they first saw the kites had to admit they 
were all right, and were as much interested as 
any of the others. 

"Say, Freddie, how did you make them?" 
Eddie Miller asked, at length. 
165 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

Freddie had to bite his Hp to keep from smil- 
ing with satisfaction. "I didn't suppose you'd 

care to know how a 
crazy fellow makes 
kites," he said. 

"Well, you know 
yourself that they 
looked queer," 

"Yes — but they are 
flying." 

"Oh, come on and 
tell, Fred, I'll take 
that back. Anyhow, 
I said it just in 
fun. 

"Yes, tell us, Fred- 
die," joined in all the other boys, eagerly. 

Of course Freddie yielded, and set forth the 
manner in which all three were constructed — 
the six-sided kite, the bow kite and the tailless, 
stickless kite. And here, in substance, is what 
Freddie told them: 




Fig. 17 



A SIX-SIDED KITE 

To make a six-sided kite, take a long 

strip of heavy wrapping paper, cover one side 

with paste, and roll spirally, as shown in 

Fig. 17 (see also Fig. 9, page 151). One strip 

166 



KITES WITHOUT STICKS 



of paper will not suffice, so just before rolling 
attach another strip of paper to the end of the 
first one and proceed with the rolling. Con- 
tinue in this way until you have made a spiral 
tube eight feet in length and one inch in diam- 
eter. While still wet bend this tube into the 
angles shown in the illustration, join together 
by running one end into the other, and fasten 
securely in position with string. Paste light 
manila paper over this framework, and across 
the face of the kite paste diagonally two narrow 
strips of heavy wrapping paper. To these strips 
attach an ordinary kite bridle. If properly 
made this kite will be fully as strong as one with 
wooden framework. Use your discretion as to 
the length of tail required. 

A BOW KITE 

To construct the bow kite you must first 
make a spiral roll, according to directions just 
given, thirty inches in length 
and one inch in diameter. 
Then cut out a strip of stiff 
cardboard thirty inches in 
length and one inch in width. 
To the centre of this card- 
board paste another piece of 
the same material twelve 
inches in length. When dry 
167 




Fig. 18 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 



fasten this with a strong paper band to 
the top of the spiral roll. Attach strong thread 

to each end of the 
cardboard, draw it into 
a bow position, as 
shown in the illus- 
tration (Fig. 1 8), and 
then fasten the ends 
of the thread to the 
base of the spiral roll. 
Over this framework 
paste light manila 
^'''- '^ paper. After attaching 

the bridle and the tail 
— again use discretion as to the length — the 
kite is complete, and as soon as dry is 
ready for flying. 




A KITE WITHOUT A TAIL 

To make a stickless, tailless kite (Fig. 19), first 
procure a strip of heavy wrapping paper four feet 
in length and twelve inches in width. Cover 
this on one side with thick flour paste, and fold 
lengthwise in the middle, paste side in. Then 
fold lengthwise again in the middle, and turn 
back a strip on each side one inch in width (see 
A, Fig. 20). Then cover with paste on one side 
another strip of wrapping paper five inches in 
168 



KITES WITHOUT STICKS 

width (see B, Fig. 20), and fasten A to this, as 
shown in the diagram. Now your upright back- 
bone is complete. Make a crosspiece in the 
same way, only when this is dry cut it in two 




Fig. 20 

on the dotted lines, as shown in diagram C. 
Allow the backbone and the crosspiece to dry 
thoroughly before going farther, and also be 
careful not to bend or wrinkle them. After the 
backbone and crosspiece are thoroughly dry, lay 




4 feet 



Fig. 21 




a light piece of manila paper four feet square 
(see diagram D, Fig. 21) on the floor and drive 
four tacks into it. Around these tacks fasten a 
string (see same diagram), cut out the paper on 
the dotted lines and paste the edges over the 
169 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 




string. Now cover the under sides of both the 
backbone and crosspieces thoroughly with paste 
and lay them down on the manila paper in the 

position as shown in 
the picture. It will 
be well to tack them 
down until dry. When 
the kite is well dried 
lay it face down upon 
the floor .and fasten the crosspieces back with 
a string, as shown by diagram E, Fig. 22. 
Diagram F, Fig. 21, shows the arrangement 
of the bridle. If properly made this unique 
kite will ascend into the heavens and soar 
about against the wind like a great bird. 



Fig. 22 



A BOY AND AN OLD UMBRELLA 



Chapter XVI 

A BOY AND AN OLD UMBRELLA 

T^VERYTHING was soaking, yet still it 
-*--' poured in torrents. Will Bishop languidly 
tossed the book he had read for the third time 
on to the blue-covered lounge, and aimlessly 
walked over to the window. A shutter banged 
to right in his face, and the rain tattooed against 
the well-washed panes harder than ever. Thor- 
oughly disgusted, he meandered out into the 
hall, and there the glimpse he caught through 
the narrow side window of a man struggling 
with a wrecked umbrella, nearly convulsed him 
with laughter. "It's a jolly enough storm," he 
thought to himself, "but three days of it is too 
much." The man outside indignantly threw 
the umbrella into the gutter and bowed his 
head to the gale. The umbrella hilariously 
flapped its black wings up and down, and then 
turned half a dozen somersaults, as though it 
had played a good joke on the man and was 
greatly tickled in consequence. However, this 
173 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

funny incident served only for a momentary 
diversion, and as soon as it was over Will was 
as much in a quandary as before what to do 
with himself. It was his wont, whenever he 
wished to get thoroughly aroused, to run up 
the stairs two at a time until he reached the 
garret ; and this he did now with all the energy 
he could command. "Hurrah! isn't this bully!" 
he shouted as he bounded into the raftered 
chamber, and, to give still further vent to his 
appreciation of the roaring din which filled the 
place, he executed a lively dance on an old 
storm door which lay on the garret floor. The 
wind whistled, the house shook, and the rain 
beat on the roof furiously. There is something 
about the noise of a storm that is very con- 
ducive to action, and the present one was 
having its effect on Will. He knocked out the 
sides of some old soap boxes, plunged into the 
dark recess at the far end of the garret, where 
he emptied a barrel of its noisy contents, and 
ransacked the place generally as though in 
quest of something he was not quite sure of. 
A blast harder than any that preceded it, accom- 
panied by a loud crashing noise, caused him to 
rush to the little oval window to see what had 
happened. The big beech opposite had fallen 
prostrate across the road, and almost in the 
174 



A BOY AND AN OLD UMBRELLA 

midst of the wreckage, as if in ecstacies over the 
great havoc wrought, was that same old um- 
brella, cutting up didos livelier than ever. 
The sight of the old umbrella nearly doubled 
Will up again. But, all at once becoming serious 
he jumped to his feet and exclaimed excitedly: 
"Why didn't I think of it before? It's just the 
very thing!" 

Five minutes later a bareheaded boy strug- 
gling with a wrecked umbrella was seen forcing 
his way against the drenching gale. The um- 
brella behaved like some wild thing. It snapped 
its black wings, thrust out its skinny ribs, flipped 
water into Will's face, and once completely 
covered his head, and pushed, oh, ever so hard, 
as though just determined to be free. Harry 
Bates, who had witnessed this novel wrestling 
match from his house opposite, feeling sure there 
was going to be lots of fun, reached Will's house 
almost as quickly as Will himself, as did also 
little Paul Campbell from the house below. 
Paul, I am afraid, left without his mother's con- 
sent ; but then, if ever boys were to be excused 
for doing as they ought not to, it was on this 
wild afternoon. 

Once in the garret again. Will set to work on 
the old umbrella with all the enthusiasm he was 
capable of. He cut the silk along one side of 
175 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

each rib with a big pair of shears, tied strings to 
its drooping wings, and in very short order made 
the miUtant fellow look as though he would be 
glad to surrender. However, the umbrella soon 
showed its spirit again when Will held it up in 
front of the opened oval window, for it suddenly- 
whizzed round and round in his hands like mad. 
Now this was exactly what Will had wanted it 
to do, and so tickled was he over the result that 
he unfolded his plans to Harry and Paul, so that 
both boys could assist him in carrying out his 
schemes. What a lot of fun lads do have, to be 
sure, when they get on the track of a real good 
idea and are enthusiastically working it out! 
The busy occupants of this garret paid not the 
least attention to the lowering darkness, nor to 
the angry rumblings of the approaching thun- 
der, until a vivid flash of lightning made them 
all feel as though they might be occupants of 
an electric light globe. Stop work? No; they 
did not even think of stopping ; on the contrary, 
they actually enjoyed the fun of adding to the 
racket by banging away the harder. The thun- 
der boomed, the wind blew, the rain thrashed on 
the roof, and all at once the little oval window, 
which Will had forgotten to securely fasten, shot 
wide open, so that the gale, rushing full on to the 
old umbrella, which was now set up in position 
176 



A BOY AND AN OLD UMBRELLA 

and attached to a train of shoe-box cars, made 
it whizz around Hke a runaway catharine-wheel. 
Then such a shouting and racket as followed you 
never heard. The shoe-box train got to going 
at such a speed that the caboose was flung clear 
off its couplings, so that it landed up in the paste 
pot. Numerous tin cans suddenly descended 
from numerous mysterious shelves and disported 
themselves all over the floor; old-time news- 
papers swished up to the rafters like monstrous 
white bats. And lightning? Why, you'd have 
thought someone was taking a series of flashlight 
pictures in a hurry. Most boys, indeed, would 
have been half scared out of their wits by all this 
hubbub, but somehow — I think the whirl of the 
old umbrella must have had something to do 
with it — these boys weren't scared a bit ; instead, 
they just hurrahed with all their might. 

Of course, Will's family were not at home, or 
such a noisy jollification would not have taken 
place; but when, three hours later, his mother 
and sister made their way through the double 
row of freshened maples, which were then spark- 
ling in glory against the rainbowed heaven, 
they espied the black umbrella outside of the- 
second-story window, whizzing away as cheerily 
as ever. 

By means of very simple devices Will made 
177 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

the black umbrella serve as the motive power for 
running all sorts of things. Among the most 
novel of these I noted his scheme for flying kites 
in the house, and his "umbrella trolley line." So 
simply were these arranged that I have appended 
the following directions, in order that my boy 
readers may have just as good a time as did Will. 



HOW TO MAKE THE UMBRELLA WINDMILL 

Saw off the handle from an umbrella having 
a wooden stick, and with scissors cut the cover 
all the way down from one side of each rib. Con- 
nect tips of ribs, at equal distances apart, with 
string, fasten short strings 
to loosened ends of cover 
and tie to tips of ribs. 
Fasten again loose ends 
of cover — half way down 
— to ribs, with shorter 
strings. Then bore a 
hole through the centre 
of a six-inch-square block 
of wood, force it over the umbrella stick until 
it rests against the ribs, then drive a nail slant- 
ingly through the block into the umbrella stick, 
and on both sides of each rib drive large tacks 
into the wooden block. The pulley is made 
of two pieces of wood nailed together, each 
178 




Fig. 23 





'M 


^ 


^ 


L \ 


>^~. 




\ 


\J 




^L-:.-. 






■ ^J ^ 





KITES FLOWN IN THE HOUSE BY THE "UMBRELLA WINDMILL 




THE "UMBRELLA TROLLEY-LINE' 



A BOY AND AN OLD UMBRELLA 

an inch thick and eight inches square, with a 
hole bored through its centre of sHghtly 
less diameter than the umbrella stick. A 
circle of long wire~ nails is driven in on 
each side of the block (see diagram, Fig. 23). 




Fig. 24 



Fasten this block securely to the umbrella stick 
with a nail. The windmill rests on wooden sup- 
ports tied to the window sill both inside and out. 
A little block of wood nailed to the tip of one 
support holds the point of the umbrella in place. 
Carefully follow the picture in working, and you 
will not go wrong. 

UMBRELLA TROLLEY LINE 

The cars are cigar boxes with pill-box wheels. 
The trolley line is twine with knots tied in it at 
179 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

intervals of an inch. The trolley is of copper wire 
and attached to trolley line and car, as shown in 
diagram, Fig. 24. Shoe boxes with upright 
sticks and spools on them support the trolley 
line. Upright sticks are fastened to shoe boxes 
with sealing-wax. The power cord from the 
umbrella windmill is connected to the upper of 
the two spools seen on the box nearest the win- 
dow. A row of small wire nails is driven into 
both of these spools, and at such an angle 
as to form a sort of picket fence. Pass 
strings around centres of these. The cars 
travel quickly. 

INDOOR KITES 

These kites are made of very delicate sticks 
covered with tissue paper. The upright sup- 
port for the "kite flier" is one and one-half feet 
in length and carries four delicate sticks, each 
measuring four feet in length, which are tied to 
it, as shown in picture. Half way up the 
upright is fastened a pulley just like the one on 
the umbrella windmill, with the exception that 
this one has only one ring of nails. The upright 
sets in a stout pasteboard box which is securely 
fastened to a small table. Flatirons may be 
put on top to hold it steadier. In the middle 
of the bottom of the box a spool is fastened with 
180 



A BOY AND AN OLD UMBRELLA 

sealing-wax, and directly over it there is a hole 
in the cover. 

The upright is passed through this hole so 
that its pointed end rests in the spool. A piece 
of stout twine connects the pulley on the wind- 
mill with that on the kite flier. The largest 
kites are one and one-half feet in length, the 
others much smaller. 

When starting, hold up the kite which is to 
first pass over the cord. The others will rise 
into the air of their own accord. 

These kites as they circle around look most 
effective. The illustration shows arrangement 
of kite flier and kites. 



i8i 



RIGHT IN THE WIND'S EYE 



Chapter XVII 

"RIGHT IN THE WIND'S EYE" 

TT was a glorious day. The breakers booming 
-*- across the Sculpin Shoals wore the whitest 
of whitecaps; the cloudlets swept through the 
sky in a golden chase, while the waters which 
hurled themselves against the weed-clothed 
foundations of Hunter's Head thundered and 
flung far the jewelled spray, as if in restless im- 
patience for the contest to begin. 

"They're off!" suddenly shouted a group of 
excited boys and girls on Knowlton's Point; 
and by the time I had climbed to that same 
vantage ground the long-looked-for struggle 
was well under way. 

Now, of all the boat races that I've ever seen 
this was the queerest, and even to-day I am 
unable to tell you whether it was a sailing match 
or otherwise. To be sure, the contesting boats 
were moved by the wind; yet, on their outward 
journey at least, they did not sail with the wind 
on any point; instead, they sailed directly 
i8S 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

against it! And who ever heard of a sailboat 
sailing against the wind? No; clearly these 
could not be classed with sailboats at all, if but 
for this one reason alone; and then, too, about 
a foot in front of each bow the water was churned 
into foam by a small propeller, which whizzed 
around as if for dear life. "Why, they were 
propeller boats!" the majority of you will say; 
but did any of you ever hear of propeller boats 
going by wind power? On the other hand, I'll 
admit Sir Thomas Lipton himself would be 
astonished to hear of sailboats going by propeller 
power. Perhaps some of you bright boys and 
girls will be able to solve this problem, and 
decide whether this might fairly be called a sail- 
ing race or not. 

But to return to the race itself. The wind 
had now freshened to half a gale; yet, instead 
of the little boats being blown shoreward, as 
one. might naturally have expected, the obstinate 
fellows just pushed into the breeze with greater 
speed. Yes; the more the wind endeavoured to 
blow them back, the more they forged ahead 
against it! 

Soon when the sounds of cheers and fish- 
horns announced that the leader had started 
for home, there was another surprise. It was 
not because she had turned the stake boat first, 
i86 



''RIGHT IN THE WIND'S EYE'' 

for in fact she hadn't turned at all, but was 
returning in her own novel fashion — which was 
backward, and entirely of her own accord. The 
surprise was that the sails, which up to this 
time had whizzed round and round ever so 
rapidly, had suddenly ceased to revolve at all, 
so that the propeller boat of' a moment ago 
was transformed into a sailboat in every sense 
of the world. Now, in place of resolutely buck- 
ing against wind and wave, she joined forces 
with them, and fairly flew over the ruflled seas. 
Onward she came, amid a babel of noise, right 
into the rocky cove at my feet, where I at once 
clambered down to see what manner of craft 
she was. When, a few minutes later, the victor 
was slowly drawn from the water, I carefully 
noted her simplicity of construction; and in 
order that all of my boy readers may make one 
just like her, I have appended the following 
detailed instructions: 

HOW TO MAKE THE BOAT 

Take a piece of board two feet long, eight 
inches wide and one inch thick, and draw a 
pencil line along its entire length, and in the 
centre. On this line, an inch from one end, 
bore a hole three-eighths of an inch in diameter 
nearly through the board. Half an inch from 
187 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 



the other end, and on same pencil Hne, put in a 
deHcate screw eye that has an inside diameter 
of three-eighths of an inch, and then cut your 
board into the shape of the boat as shown in 
illustration (Fig. 25). 

Now take a stick nine inches long and half 
an inch square, and put a screw eye — same size 
and kind as one mentioned previously — into one 




Fig. 25 



end of it. Shape the other end of this stick so 
that it will fit tightly into the hole already made 
in the boat, and then round it off so as to make 
it slightly thinner at top than at bottom. The 
shaft is a straight cylindrical stick thirty -nine 
inches long, three-eighths of an inch in diameter 
in the middle, and tapering slightly toward each 
end. On one end fasten with plenty of sealing- 
wax six delicate sticks each seven and three- 
188 




-y'-/-^^ 




'RIGHT IN THE WIND'S EYE'' 



quarter inches in length, taking care to set 
them all evenly and at the same distance apart. 

Now pass the shaft through the screw eyes 
until it projects one foot beyond the bow of 
the boat. Hold in this position and then, 
while slowly turning it, put sealing-wax around 
it, each side of the forward screw eye. These 
sealing-wax shoul- 
ders (if I may call 
them such) should 
be perfectly smooth 
and a quarter of an 
inch apart (see pic- 
ture) . After this 
take six pieces of 
stiff writing paper 
six inches long and 
four and a half 

inches wide, and cut each into the shape 
shown in the diagram of the windmill (Fig. 
26) ; fasten these to the spokes with sealing- 
wax at exact angle, as shown in the picture 
of the boat. 

The blades of the screw are made of three 
thin pieces of wood, each three and a half inches 
by two inches, with edges sharpened. Place 
the blades — with sealing-wax — in the shaft at 
equal distances apart, and at the same angle 
189 




NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

as the papers on the windmill. The two little 
upright sticks which support the spool are one 
inch and a quarter high, two inches apart, and 
fastened with sealing-wax to the bottom of the 
boat, six inches from the stern. Afterward 
burn holes through these supports with a heated 
hatpin. 

Tie the end of the stout cotton to an empty- 
spool and wind this spool with as much thread 
as it will carry; then thrust a hatpin through 
the supports and the spool, as shown in the 
picture, and fasten the loose end of the cotton 
to the shaft. On starting the boat, point it 
directly toward the wind, when the little screw 
will at once begin revolving rapidly. As soon 
as the thread is all unwound from the spool the 
windmill will cease to revolve, and the craft 
will sail gallantly back to the shore from which 
she was started. 



190 



A BATHTUB REGATTA 



Chapter XVIII 
A BATHTUB REGATTA 

A CERTAIN small boy had been reading 
the life of Robert Fulton. The tale of 
the first steamboat had fascinated him, and he 
put down the book full of the enthusiasm of 
invention. He wanted very much to go and 
do likewise. Half an hour later his mother 
heard a great splashing and swishing in the 
bathroom. He had found that the long marble 
tub made an excellent river. In his imagina- 
tion it became the glorious Hudson, and, being 
a practical boy who liked to tinker, he thought 
he had found a way to combine the pleasure of 
a game with his love of making things. So he 
set to work manufacturing a boat. This con- 
sisted of a baking-powder can resting upon 
four hatpins stuck into a fiat piece of wood. 
Small, lighted candles placed under the can, 
which was filled with water, generated steam. 
A proud moment it was for the boy when this 
miniature steamship puffed grandly up the 
193 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

river with marble banks. This achievement satis- 
fied the young inventor for a day or two, and then 
he cast about for other problems, and decided not 
to stop short of a fleet. One by one the tiny ves- 
sels grew till he had made three other boats, each 
of which had a different motive power. The 
second ran by waterpower, the third was run by 
candle-light power, and the other, which was 
really a clever piece of work, had an air propeller. 
The following week the boy held a grand 
bathtub regatta, to which he invited his friends. 
The marvellous boats, the skill with which they 
were made, and the unique devices by which 
each was run, quite captured the youngsters. 
It is for the benefit of children who couldn't 
be there that this little description of the boats 
is given. The boy with a love of tinkering will 
find material for many days of work and pleas- 
ure. Tin cans, copper wire, smooth pieces of 
board, strong paper and some sealing-wax are 
about all that are really necessary. 

THE BAKING-POWDER-CAN BOAT 

The boat is' of wood, one foot long, five inches 
wide, one inch thick, and hollowed out. Hat- 
pins are stuck into the sides of the boat and 
fastened together where they cross with light 
copper wire. The boiler is a small baking- 
194 




AIR-PROPELLER BOATS 




A BAKING-POWDER CAN STEAMBOAT 



A BATHTUB REGATTA 

powder can with a hole driven in the bottom 
of it with a stout needle. Fill the boiler one- 
third full of water, and then put on the cover, 
after first placing a piece of cotton cloth over 
the opening. This is to make it steam-tight. 
Be sure to get the boiler in the centre of the 
boat. The more candles placed under the boiler, 
the faster the boat will travel. 

WATER-POWER CATAMARAN 

The boats are one foot long, and each half 
is held two inches apart by light sticks fitting 
tightly into holes made in their sides. Fasten 
two sticks, notched on top, in place for the 
hatpin axle to rest on. Make the paddle- 
wheel of four delicate wooden blades, and fasten 
to the axle with sealing-wax. The water-box 
is of cardboard, made water-tight with sealing- 
wax. The box rests on four light sticks of wood, 
and placed so that the paddles just escape it 
when in motion. The hole in the bottom of 
the box should be one-eighth of an inch in diame- 
ter. Excepting where specified make all fasten- 
ings in sealing-wax (see the illustration). 

THE CANDLE BOAT 

The boat is one foot long, three inches wide, 
one-fourth of an inch deep, and hollowed out. 
195 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

The masts are one foot in height. The sails 
are of writing paper, the lower ends of which 
are fastened to the mast with sealing-wax. 
Small pieces of lighted candles, placed in position 
as shown in the illustration, furnish the motive 
power and a swift-moving boat. 

AIR-PROPELLER STEAMBOAT 

The boat is fourteen inches long, five and 
one-half inches wide, one inch deep, and hol- 
lowed out. Use the largest size baking-powder 
can for the boiler. Paste strips of paper one 
inch wide around the can, to prevent steam 
escaping from beneath the cover. Make one 
hole in the side of the can with a darning needle, 
and a larger hole for pouring water into the 
boiler. Make a wooden plug to fit tightly in 
the large hole after the boiler has been filled. 
The propeller is three wooden toothpicks, to 
which are attached pieces of light paper. The 
steam wheel should be made of tough paper 
and fastened to a straight piece of wire. The 
illustration shows the arrangement of the 
mechanism so plainly that further description 
is not necessary. Ten little pieces of candle 
placed beneath the boiler make the propeller 
whiz. 



196 




A FLEET RUN BY WATER POWER 




BOATS RUN BY CANDLE-LIGHT POWER 



TOYS THAT RUN UP HILL 



Chapter XIX 

TOYS THAT RUN UP HILL 

T TERE is a chance for lots of fun — a chance 
•^ -'- to make a boat that will travel uphill, 
that will travel from your back garden to the 
second or third story window of your house 
and that will travel as prettily as any boat you 
ever saw. If you are not fond of boats you can 
make for yourself the funniest kind of a funny 
cat, and then send this travelling up and down 
hill, or back and forth across the yard, or along 
the street, or even to the highest windows of the 
house. If you do not care for boats and cats, 
and prefer something else, there is the funny 
Italian organ grinder, with his cardboard mon- 
key, and these, too, will travel wherever you 
wish. 

Unless I am much mistaken, however, all you 
boys will be just delighted with that air-line 
steamboat, for it has two pinwheel paper screws 
in the stern of it, and as the steamer makes its 
numerous trips back and forth these revolve, 
199 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

oh! ever so rapidly. Simpler toys were never 
made, so all try and see what you can do. 

HOW TO ARRANGE THE RUNNING-GEAR WHICH 
WILL MAKE ALL THESE TOYS TRAVEL 

First procure a cigar box ; if you cannot con- 
veniently get one, make a box for yourself out 
of wood, which will answer fully as well. Bore 
four holes in the cover of the box, and four holes 
in the bottom of it — near the corners and about 
one and one-fourth inches from each of the sides. 
Be sure that holes are parallel to each other and 
of sufficient diameter to allow the head of a 
thin one-and-one-fourth-inch wire nail to pass 
through. After you have carefully bored these 
holes, cut a narrow slit in each end of the box 
— from top to bottom — one-fourth of an inch 
in width. Then take four spools — which should 
be of the same size, and slightly shorter in length 
than the inside depth of the box — and plug up 
the holes of these tightly with wooden pegs. 
After whittling off the projecting ends of these 
pegs, drive thin one-and-one-fourth-inch wire 
nails into the plugged-up spools, allowing half an 
inch of each nail to project, so as to serve for an 
axle. 

Now place the four spools inside the box, 
allowing the wire-nail axles to protrude through 



TOYS THAT RUN UP HILL 

the holes in the bottom, and close the lid, taking 
care that the upper nail axles pass through the 
holes in the cover. If you are now sure that the 
spools work perfectly free and do not touch the 
sides of the box at all, nail down the cover. The 
diagram (Fig. 27) shows '',"---.. 

the arrangement of the -=^=^^v- '" ^^ - , 
spools exactly. To set the i^^^^^^^S®^ 

box in motion, pass the '^\/^f ^^^B^ 

ends of two long strings ^ - ~-J 

through one of the slits '^" ^"^ 

so that these will drop between both sets of spools 
and out through the slits on the lower side. 
Then, to test whether your box and spools are 
properly arranged, proceed as follows; Tie the 
ends of the two strings that issue from out one 
side of the box to the top of the door, and close 
together. Next, go with your cigar box to the far 
end of the room — the strings should easily reach 
that distance — :and holding a string in each hand, 
pull both perfectly taut, then suddenly move your 
hands wide apart perpendicularly, straight up and 
down. As soon as you do this the box will shoot 
up to the top of the door so quickly that you will 
be surprised. By placing your hands together the 
box will return again. The illustration of the 
boy and girl playing "Cat on the Fence" shows 
perfectly the method of making the box travel. 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 



HOW TO MAKE THE AIR-LINE STEAMBOAT 

First, arrange your cigar box and spools as 
just described, then fasten a stick six inches in 
length across the middle of the upper part of the 
box with small nails and sealing-wax (see the 
illustration of steam- 
boat). Fasten cardboard 
sides for your boat to 
the tips of this stick and 
to the lower corner of the 
box with sealing-wax. 
After drawing the card- 
board together in the 
front and rear, fasten 
these to each other with 
sealing-wax. Each card- 
board side should meas- 
ure twenty inches in 
length and seven inches in depth. The tops of 
each side should be cut with a slight curve 
inward, and the lower parts cut well away in 
the front and the back (see the illustration of 
the steamboat and the diagram (Fig. 28). 

A match box will serve admirably for a pilot 
house, and this may be fastened in position with 
sealing-wax. A smokestack of heavy wrapping 
paper is also fastened in position with some 
sealing-wax. The two propellers are paper pin- 




FlG. 28 




ORGAN GRINDER AND 
MONKEY 



LAUNCHING OF THE STEAMBOAT "CLIMBER' 



TOYS THAT RUN UP HILL 

wheels, fastened to the ends of short sticks, 
which are in turn attached to the steamboat with 
seaHng-wax. Be sure to place these propellers 
in such a position that they will not interfere 
in the least with the strings. Decorate the 
boat with streamers and flags, and paint the 
name Climber on its side. 

These boats may be made to travel from the 
back yard to the second-story window by fasten- 
ing the ends of the strings which come through 
the bow to the "blind catch." If convenient, it 
would be well to fasten the upper string that 
comes from the stern of the boat tightly to the 
top of the clothes post in the yard. Now, by 
pulling down hard on the lower string that comes 
through the stern the boat will travel with mar- 
vellous rapidity from the ground to the second- 
story window, with its screws just whizzing 
around. A few trials will enable you to become 
quite expert in sending this boat up the string. 
The string itself should be of the strong, hard, 
smooth variety. 

"cat on the fence" 

Two pieces of pasteboard cut the shape of a 

cat, or somewhere near that shape, and fastened 

one on each side to a cigar box — which already 

contains the necessary machinery — is practically 

203 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

all there is to the making of this interesting toy. 
Be careful, though, to bore holes through the 
pasteboards for the axles of the spools to pass 
through. This cat may easily be made to travel 
a hundred feet and return by suddenly and 
strongly pulling the hands apart as shown in 
the illustration. You can make your cat as 
funny as you please by painting it with various 
colours, and by fastening broom straws to its 
head for whiskers. 

ORGAN GRINDER AND MONKEY 

Cut out of cardboard a man, minus both arms, 
and fasten him to the organ — which should be a 
small cigar box fitted with the necessary spools 
between the slit and the outside edge of the box. 
The right arm is made of two separate pieces of 
cardboard. Punch holes through these two 
pieces, and fasten them together at the elbow 
with thread. Also punch a hole through the 
cardboard shoulder, as well as through the upper 
part of the arm, and fasten both together loosely, 
but securely, with thread. Make the left arm 
of cardboard, and fasten to the shoulder and to 
the top of the organ with plenty of sealing-wax. 

In making this toy use a piece of stout wire, 
two and one-half inches in length, instead of a 
wire nail, to serve as an axle for the upper rear 
204 




#• 



TOYS THAT RUN UP HILL 

Spool. Where this wire projects beyond the 
box bend it into the shape of the crank on a 
hand-organ. SHp the cardboard hand over the 
end of this crank, then drop on the tip of it a 
httle lump of sealing-wax, so as to prevent the 
hand from slipping off. 

The monkey is cut out of stiff pasteboard. 
Circles of wire are fastened to the hands and 
feet with sealing-wax, so that the creature may 
easily slip up and down the string. A very 
stout piece of wire should be used to connect the 
monkey with the man or organ. Pass the upper 
string only through the rings on the monkey's 
hands and feet, then drop both strings through 
the box as previously described. If properly 
made this is a most amusing toy. 

In making all these objects carefully follow 
the illustrations, and you will not go wrong. 

It is great fun at a party for young folks to 
have all the boys and girls try their hand at 
making these toys. It is easy to get the mate- 
rial together, and it adds to the fun if a prize is 
offered. 



205 



HOME-MADE ARTILLERY 



Chapter XX 
HOME-MADE ARTILLERY 

TTURRAH, boys, here's some fun! A chance 
-*■ -*- for you all to make cannons for your- 
selves! Easy? Why, all you have to do is to 
get some heavy sheets of wrapping paper, paste 
these thoroughly, then roll ^them into long 
cylindrical tubes. That's easy enough, is it 
not? The gun carriages, too, are made without 
any more difficulty, a soap box and barrel-head 
wheels serving for the "field gun," and a paste- 
board support and wheels for the "house 
gun." 

The best thing, though, about these wrapping- 
paper cannons is that they shoot just like those 
great guns you have seen in forts. True 
enough, the cannon balls used are only hollow 
rubber balls or bound wads of newspaper, but 
then they may be thrown quite a considerable 
distance, and when sailing through the air 
they look for all the world like the large 
iron ones. 

209 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

Just for the fun of it, try and see what you 
can do. Follow the directions carefully and 
you will be enabled to enjoy the sport of sham 
battles in the garden, mimic battles on the dining 
table, and lots of fun generally. 

First begin by making the " house gun." Un- 
less otherwise specified, make all fastenings 
with sealing-wax. 

HOW TO MAKE THE HOUSE GUN 

Paste half a large sheet of heavy wrapping 
paper thoroughly on one side, and then roll it 
into a long tube, tapering at one end. Roll 
very neatly. The tube should measure eighteen 
inches in length, three inches in diameter at 
the larger end, and two inches at the smaller 
end. Wind the string around it to prevent 
unrolling, and put aside to dry. 

While the cannon tube is drying make the 
"shot thrower." Cut from the stoutest card- 
board a disk one and three-fourths inches in 
diameter, and bore three holes in it at an equal 
distance apart, near its outer edge. Then cut 
out a strip of pasteboard one inch wide and six 
inches long, roll this in the form of a napkin ring 
one and one-half inches in diameter, fasten the 
overlapping ends securely together, and then as 
securely fasten this ring to the cardboard disk (see 

210 



HOME-MADE ARTILLERY 

the diagram, Fig. 29). Now take three narrow 
elastic bands — each measuring three and one- 
half inches in length — and thrust one end of 
these through the holes around the edge of the 
disk. Knot the ends of the elastic afterward, 
so as to prevent them from slipping out, then 
thrust three short pieces of string — of equal 
length — through the same holes; tie these 
securely to the disks, also tie the loose ends 




together, and add another piece of string one 
foot in length just where these intersect (see the 
illustration of the " shot thrower," Fig. 29). The 
illustration here given of the "shot thrower" 
isthat forthe "field gun." The " shot thrower " 
for the "house gun" is like it in all respects, 
with the exception that only three elastic bands 
are used for the propelling power in place of 
six for the "field gun." The measurements 
just given for the disk, etc., are especially for 
use in the "house gun." Of course, these 
211 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

measurements would have to be very much 
enlarged for use in the "field gun." 

Now trim off the ends of your cannon, if it is 
dry, with a pair of scissors, drop the "shot 
thrower" into its large end, taking care to keep 
the free ends of the elastic bands hanging down- 
ward, then pass a three-inch length of tape 
through each band, and fasten the ends of these 
to the outside of the cannon's mouth (see the 
diagram of the "house gun," Fig. 29). 

Cut out a disk of cardboard three inches in 
diameter for the breech, punch a hole through 
its centre, fasten a small spool to it in the same 
place, pass the end of the long string attached 
to the shot thrower through the holes in the 
disk and the spool, and afterward tie to the 
end of the same string a little stick of wood. 
Then fasten the breech to the cannon as shown in 
the diagram. 

Now for the gun carriage. Make two wheels 
eight and one-half inches in diameter, of heavy 
pasteboard, and fasten spools to these for hubs; 
make a delicate wooden axle eight inches in 
length, pass it through the wheels and spool 
hubs, and put a bit of sealing-wax on both 
ends of the axle, to prevent the wheels from 
slipping off, and another bit of sealing-wax on 
the axle just inside the wheels, to prevent these 




A FIGHT WITH FIELD GUNS 




A FIERCE BATTLE INDOORS 



HOME-MADE ARTILLERY 

from slipping too near the cannon. Cut out 
two strips of cardboard fifteen inches in length 
by three inches in width, join together for fully 
half their length with sealing-wax, punch holes 
through the tips of the unjoined ends, slip these 
over the projecting pieces of wood on each side 
of the cannon, rest the cannon on the axle, and 
fasten the strips to the same very securely with 
sealing-wax (see the diagram of the "house 
gun," Fig. 29). 

Now with a penknife cut an almost complete 
circular slit in the cannon, beginning two inches 
from its breech, leaving only one-half inch uncut 
to serve as a sort of hinge for the paper flap. 
Your cannon is now completed. 

Cannon balls for this gun may be made of 
wads of newspaper tightly bound with string. 
When ready to fire, lift up the paper flap, pull 
back the firing string as far as you can, place a 
paper ball into the shot holder, aim carefully, 
then let go the string. 

Before beginning to fire take care that the 
shot thrower is held in position quite taut by 
the little piece of wood on the end of the firing 
string. If loose, wind up the string on the 
stick until it is taut. On no account allow the 
elastic bands, the tapes inside the cannon or the 
firing string to sag in the least. 
213 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

HOW TO MAKE THE FIELD GUN 

The "field gun" is made in almost precisely 
the same way as the "house gun," except that 
it is larger, that the gun carriage is made of a 
soap box with barrel-head wheels, while two 
barrel staves support it on the ground. Also, 
the disk of the shot holder is made of wood, the 
propelling force consists of three pairs of heavy 
elastic bands, and the tapes attached to the 
ends of these are thrust through slits made in 
the sides of the cannon instead of outside the 
cannon's mouth, as in the "house gun." Follow 
the illustrations carefully and you cannot go 
wrong. For cannon balls use hollow rubber 
balls. In conclusion fasten the large field guns 
to the swivel boards on which they rest by 
pasting a number of strips of paper entirely 
around them and the board. 

Always wait until the cannons are thoroughly 
dried and hard before using. 



214 



SHIPS THAT SAIL ON THE SNOW 



Chapter XXI 
SHIPS THAT SAIL ON THE SNOW 

TF YOU boys want to have lots of fun on those 
-^ bright, crisp winter days when the snow is 
covered with a hard, shiny crust, and the tem- 
perature is just low enough to give the air a 
pleasant, stinging sensation, make yourselves a 
"snow ship." It is not at all a difficult ship 
to build; in fact, it is the simplest ship that 
ever was built, and constructed solely of those 
materials found plentifully about every house. 
A few sticks, a few strips of cardboard, a paper 
or muslin sail, and there you have it! 

Will they sail? Well, you boys never in all 
your lives saw ships sail so swiftly as these do. 
The trouble is they sail too well, too swiftly, 
and require to be weighted in order to keep 
them down to a moderate pace. Why, if the 
wind is blowing at the rate of thirty miles an 
hour, the boats will travel at the same speed; 
or if at sixty miles, they will still keep up with 
it. "Flying over the snow" better expresses 
217 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

their movements than ' ' saiHng over it . " Indeed, 
unless the breeze be very light, it is nearly always 
necessary to make them carry weight, just as 
a horse does when he proves to be too swift. 
If you don't weight them, the chances are that 
they will be out of sight before you realise 
what is happening. My, but what a pretty 
picture it makes when a whole fleet of these 
snow ships rushes up to the top of a snow- 
covered hillside! The effect is^ as though a 
whole lot of witches were riding their broom- 
sticks in a wild endeavour to escape from this 
world as soon as possible. 

The illustrations on page 218 show so exactly 
how the boats are constructed that detailed 
directions are really not necessary. And, too, 
they can be varied so much in the making of 
them that I'll wager every bright boy will wish 
to adopt some novel ideas of his own. For 
instance, in the illustration of the "completed 
snow ship" a pasteboard box is used for a hull 
— if I may call it such — through which the cross 
sticks, the horizontal stick and the mast are 
run. This pasteboard box serves admirably 
for a boat measuring three, four or five feet in 
length, but if you boys wish a much stiff er and 
a much larger boat, a soap box will serve the 
purpose better. Then, too, the shoes of the 
218 




AN "ICE-SCHOONER 




FLYING OVER THE SNOW 



SHIPS THAT SAIL ON THE SNOW 

boat shown in the illustration are made of 
cardboard, and I am almost certain that in 
building a real large boat you will discover that 
barrel staves or other easily acquired materials 
are preferable in every way. I see no reason 
why one of these boats should not be built 
large enough to carry passengers, and that, too, 
without much difficulty. Fancy flying across 
a long stretch of country at the rate of twenty 
or thirty miles an hour! It's enough to make 
one dizzy to even think of it. 

In making the boats as here illustrated, make 
them three, four or five feet in length, or even 
very much smaller if you wish, say one or two 
feet in length. Cut holes in the sides and top 
of your pasteboard-box hull, for the cross stick, 
long, horizontal stick and mast to pass through. 
Fasten these sticks firmly together — inside the 
box — with string or wire, and then slip the cover 
of the box down over the mast and fasten it 
securely to the box with plenty of sealing-wax. 
Also put on a very liberal supply of sealing-wax 
around each stick, close to the box, so there shall 
be no wabbling. 

In the diagram (Fig. 30), A shows the arrange- 
ment of the box, sticks and where to put on 
sealing-wax. A wooden crosspiece is fastened 
near the top of the mast. Fasten it with string if 
219 




NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

you should wish the sail to always remain up, 
but with a wire ring if you should desire to raise 
or lower the sail often and quickly. The sail may 
be made of paper or muslin, of any colour, and 
shaped like those shown in the illustrations, or 
different if you prefer. 
A stout cord is fastened 
from the top of the mast 
to the farthest end of 
the long, horizontal stick. 
The shoes are made of 
cardboard, rolled up at 

Fig. 30 ^ 

each end, and tacked 
to a piece of wood about two inches thick, which 
is placed on top of them. For the shape of this 
piece of wood and the arrangement of the shoe 
generally see B in diagram. 

Weights to prevent the boats from travelling 
too rapidly may be fastened to the top of the 
rear shoe, to the pasteboard hull, and even in the 
box hull itself. 

The illustration of the "ice schooner" shows 
the construction of its wooden framework so 
accurately that I need only mention that the 
shoes for it are made of bent pieces of tin. 
Be sure that the tin touches the ice its 
entire length, and also that it is moderately 
sharp. Sails may be made of paper or 




AN icp:-ship race up hill 




SAILS REEFED— GOING DOWN HILL 



SHIPS THAT SAIL ON THE SNOW 

muslin, and fastened in position as shown in 
the illustration. 

In racing the snow ships, a good plan is to 
race them up a long, steep hill. At the top of 
the hill boys should be stationed, whose duty it 
is to announce to the boys at the bottom of the 
hill the winners of the flying contests, and also 
to lower the sails, fastening them snugly down, 
so that the boats will travel down the incline of 
their own accord. See the illustration of the 
boats with sails reefed returning down hill. For 
a real, all-round, exciting, healthful sport, these 
boat races on the snow would be hard to beat. 



221: 



FUN WITH CANDLE LIGHT 



Chapter XXII 

FUN WITH CANDLE LIGHT 

T>RILLIANT in effect, of the simplest mate- 
-*--' rials, and easily made by anybody, are 
the objects here pictured. There is a lighthouse 
with real red and white flash lights, a fairy-like 
"merry-go-round," a "candle-light engine," a 
"revolving tower" and a number of other pleas- 
ing combinations of light and movement, and 
just the sort of fun for boys on a winter's night. 
Pieces of lighted candle furnish the motive 
power, and when all other lights are extinguished 
dull indeed will he be whose enthusiasm is not 
aroused. 

A PRETTY ILLUSTRATION OF AN OLD IDEA 

Cover the bottom of a dinner plate with water 
to the depth of an eighth of an inch, or a little 
more. In the centre place a small piece of 
lighted candle. Then take a tumbler and lower 
it, in an inverted position, quickly down over 
the lighted candle. As soon as the inverted 
225 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

tumbler rests on the plate the water with the 
candle floating will at once rise in the tumbler 
as shown in the picture. The taller the tumbler 
used the more effective will be the trick. 

THE REVOLVING TOWER 

The cylinder is made of wrapping paper ; half- 
way up its sides delicate sticks are attached with 
sealing-wax, and over each stick is drawn half a 
sheet of writing paper and set at the angle as 
shown in the picture. On top of the cylinder 
is a circle of cardboard, and to this is fastened 
with sealing-wax a delicate wooden upright, to 
the tip of which are attached two small cross- 
sticks. Over these cross-sticks draw on pieces 
of paper at the angle shown in the picture. 

When the cylinder is completed cut out a circle 
of paper, float it in a large pan of water, and care- 
fully place the cylinder on this. It is well to 
attach it there with sealing-wax. 

Set the candles in position as shown in the 
picture, and these when lit will cause the whole 
to revolve beautifully. Tissue-paper streamers 
and other decorations greatly heighten the effect. 

THE CANDLE-LIGHT ENGINE 

The uprights for the flywheel and the walking- 
beam are straws. The walking-beam is of straw 
226 




A PRETTY ILLUSTRATION OF AN OLD-TIME TRICK 





A REVOLVING TOWER 



WRAPPING-PAPER 
LIGHTHOUSE 



FUN WITH CANDLE LIGHT 




and the driving-rod and piston are split straws. 
The fly-wheel is of stiff writing paper, about 
seven and one-half inches in diameter, to the 
inside and centre of 
which is fastened a 
small circle of card- 
board. The axle for 
the fly-wheel is a 
"vStickpin," and this 
rests on small needles 
inserted into the up- 
rights (see picture. 
Fig. 31). Before put- 
ting the axle in posi- 
tion slip on the 
flanged wheel, which 

may easily be cut out of stiff writing paper 
(Fig. 32). Then press the axle into the 
circular piece of cardboard, taking care that it 
does not project through the other side of the 
fly-wheel. One of the pictures shows the back 
of the engine. Place sealing-wax on both card- 
board and stickpin at the point of contact ; also 
put a little sealing-wax on the flanged wheel 
where the stickpin perforates it. The cylinder 
for the piston to work in is made of writing paper 
and the straws of the engine are fastened to each 
other with very fine needles. The crank con- 
227 



Fig. 31 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 




necting the driving-rod with the fly -wheel is a 
bent pin. 

The power plant which makes the engine run 
has a knitting needle upright, to the top of which 
a small square piece of cardboard is attached 

with plenty of 
se aling-wax. 
and on top of 
this straws are 
fastened, also 
with plenty of 
se aling-wax. 
Over the straws 
Fig. 32 half sheets of 

writing paper 
are drawn at angles as shown in the pic- 
ture. The knitting needle is held in place by a 
Wooden upright, from the top of which projects 
a piece of cardboard with a hole in it. The 
lower point of the knitting needle also rests in a 
hole made in a piece of cardboard. Before 
dropping the point of the knitting needle in the 
lower hole force over it a slice of cork having 
two rows of pins stuck in it, as shown in the pic- 
ture. An advantage may be gained by fastening 
three fine needles to the cardboards so as to form 
a small triangle over each of the two holes for 
the knitting needle to revolve in. The more 
228 




CIRCLING ARCH 




CANDLE-LIGHT MERRY-GO-ROUND 



FUN WITH CANDLE LIGHT 

candle-light used the faster the fly-wheel will 
revolve. 

If convenient build both engine and power 
plant on pieces of glass. Two discarded nega- 
tives of photographs will answer admirably. 
The power plant is connected to the engine with 
a piece of thread allowed to hang rather loosely. 

PAPER MERRY-GO-ROUND 

Cut out a circle of paper like that shown in 
the picture, and to this attach with a little 
sealing-wax creased uprights of writing paper. 
Uprights may be easily cut out of a piece of 
writing paper after it has been folded over and 
well creased with a pair of scissors. Be sure 
they all, when stood up, are at the angle shown 
in the picture. Now float the circle of paper in 
a large pan of water, and under each upright — 
not too close — set a small piece of lighted 
candle, when the whole will revolve beautifully. 
Two uprights are sufficient to make the circle 
revolve, but the addition of more of them 
greatly adds to the effect and rapidity of the 
revolutions. 

THE CIRCLING ARCH 

The arch is cut out of a pasteboard box, and 
then pasted over with paper. To the sides light 
229 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 



sticks of wood are attached with seahng-wax, 
and over these are drawn half sheets of writing 
paper. These papers should be placed at angles 
as shown in the picture. On top 
of the arch a delicate wooden 
upright with two cross-pieces 
is fastened in place with sealing- 
wax, and over the cross-pieces 
more papers are drawn and set 
at angles as shown. 

Set the arch on a large circle of 
floating paper, and place bits of 
lighted candles in position as 
shown in the p i c t u r e . The 
raore gaudily the arch is decor- 
ated with stars, coloured papers, 
streamers, etc., the more effective the whole will 
appear. 

The arch may be rested on a circle of wood 
instead of paper if desired. 




Floating Ferris 
Wheel 



THE SIMPLY MADE LIGHTHOUSE 

Roll Up a large sheet of heavy wrapping 
paper, crosswise, into a slightly tapering cylin- 
der, and fasten with mucilage or glue. A sheet 
of thin, dark-coloured cardboard answers still 
better. Trim both ends of cylinder with scissors. 
About two and one-half or three inches below the 
230 




THE PAPER TOWER A SHEET OF WRAPPING PAPER 

BEARING A CAT 



FUN WITH CANDLE LIGHT 




^mm 



A Toy Ferry Boat 



top of cylinder cut narrow oblong holes in three 

sides for light to flash through; half an inch 

below these cut two slits a quarter of an inch 

wide, one on the right and the other on the left 

side of the cylinder. 

Cut out a strip of 

stout tin a quarter 

of an inch wide, make 

a dent in its centre 

for a needle point to 

rest in; pass this 

strip through both 

slits, and bend down 

each projecting end 

closely against the 

cylinder. Now cut a hole in the back of the 

cylinder and as near to the top as possible, an 

inch and one-half wide and an inch high. Also 

cut a hole in the back of the cylinder, and 

close to its base, through which to pass a small 

piece of candle later. 

In a shallow pan of water, and so that it rests 
on the bottom, place a large wooden block, or a 
small pan inverted, and on top of this stand 
the cylinder. If desired the cylinder may be 
fastened to the foundation with sealing-wax. 
Now whittle out six delicate wooden spokes, all 
of the same length, and insert these at equal dis- 
231 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 




Fig. 33 



tances apart into a slice of cork. To each spoke 
attach a triangular-shaped piece of paper with 
mucilage, and when dried bend these slightly 
upward at an angle as shown in the diagram 
(Fig. T,T,). Then suspend 
with mucilage from each 
set of two spokes a strip 
of thin red paper. The 
diagram shows how this 
wheel is made. It should 
be of such dimensions 
that it will go through 
the top of the cylinder 
without touching its 
sides. Complete the wheel by sticking a short, 
straight hatpin through the exact centre of the 
cork. It would be well to file the head off. 
After this cut out a circular piece of cardboard, 
to serve as a cap to the lighthouse, and through 
the exact centre of this pierce a small hole. 
Now lower the wheel down through the top of 
the cylinder until the point of the hatpin rests 
in the dent made in the tin strip, and then in 
placing the cardboard cap on top of the light- 
house allow the upper part of the hatpin to pass 
through the pierced hole. 

The lighthouse being completed, place a short 
piece or two pieces of candle through the lower 
232 



FUN WITH CANDLE LIGHT 

hole in the back of the cyhnder and Hght them. 
Immediately the wheel will begin to revolve 
and red and white lights will alternately flash 
out from your lighthouse. If the wheel does 
not revolve at once, carefully examine to see if 
it touches the sides of the cylinder at any point. 
If it does touch, remedy the defect. If it does 
not, turn up triangular papers attached to spokes 
at a more acute angle, and it may also be neces- 
sary to make both holes in the back of the light- 
house larger. Cover up the foundation on which 
the cylinder stands with sand, small stones and 
shells, as this adds greatly to the realism of the 
whole. Stonework may easily be marked on 
the lighthouse with ink. Do not place more 
than one piece of candle in the lighthouse unless 
necessary. 



233 



SOME NEW PAPER TRICKS 



Chapter XXIII 

SOME NEW PAPER TRICKS 

"VJOTHING is more interesting than the way 
-^ ^ in which our preconceived notions about 
the physical world are overturned by experiment. 
It used to be assumed that a heavy body would 
fall faster than a light one, until some wise soul 
tried it and discovered that all bodies fall at the 
same rate. And I fancy that if questioned 
most people would say that a sheet of paper 
would not float for any length of time on water, 
and certainly would not bear any weight. But 
experiment proves the contrary. Indeed, the 
number of things that can be done with floating 
paper will not only surprise old people but will 
furnish amusement for children. A sheet of 
ordinary writing paper, if properly adjusted, 
will float for an apparently indefinite period. 
Four half-sheets which I floated by way of a 
test were as dry on the upper surface after having 
been on the water for ten days as when I first 
placed them on the liquid. 
237 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

But what surprised me most of all was to learn 
the weight these floating papers can carry. One 
day while I was experimenting with them I 
rather carelessly placed a large wooden spool on 
one of the half sheets, expecting, of course, to see 
the paper go to the bottom immediately. This 
did not happen, however, and my aroused 
curiosity prompted me to add greater weight. 
Recklessly I laid my four-bladed penknife on 
top of the spool; to my astonishment the 
paper still remained floating; and even 
when I placed on more freight, in the shape 
of four one-cent pieces, it obstinately refused 
to sink. 

Desirous of learning the exact carrying ca- 
pacity of a whole sheet of floating writing paper 
I first placed a stiff piece of cardboard in its centre, 
and then proceeded to load it with the numerous 
articles shown in the illustration (page 238). 
That a sheet of paper should float for ten days 
was surprising enough, but that it should float 
under such a weight was nothing short of mar- 
vellous. Continuing my experiments along this 
line, I placed a piece of wrapping paper thirty 
by forty inches on the surface of the water. On 
this paper I first laid two slender sticks length- 
wise ; on these sticks I placed a large tin bowl, 
and on top of this bowl I seated my pet cat, 
238 





BONFIRE ON FLOATING PAPER THE MERRY-GO-ROUND 




.^^ 






WHAT A SHEET OF WRITING PAPER WILL CARRY 



SOME NEW PAPER TRICKS 

which weighs just five and one-half pounds ! 
The result was that pictured on page 230. 

More in a spirit of mischief than anything 
else, I started a bonfire on one of the floating 
sheets, and although the flames burned fiercely 
they did not even scorch the paper. Returning 
to the weight test again, a delicate tower of 
writing paper eight feet in height was made and 
set upon four sheets of writing paper. It floated 
beautifully, and I ascertained that the actual 
weight of this tower could have been easily sup- 
ported by a single sheet, but four were necessary 
to keep it balanced. 

Later on I spun a humming top on a half sheet 
of floating note paper, in the centre of which 
was placed a piece of cardboard, with the almost 
certain knowledge that its peg would puncture 
the cardboard; but my almost certain knowledge 
was rudely shaken, for the top whirred round 
and round until it stopped of its own accord 
and without accident. 

I continued to make new experiments. One 
of the most interesting and instructive was that 
of constructing a tiny windmill, placing lighted 
candles beneath it to create wind artificially, and 
floating the whole on the water. 

All the tricks I have here described and illus- 
trated may be successfully performed by anyone 
239 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

who will use a little care, and I can assure you 
that it is a most delightful way in which to enter- 
tain children at an afternoon or evening party. 
It will be readily seen that the designs do not by 
any means exhaust the possibilities of amuse- 
ment to be had in this direction. Rather they 
are intended to serve as suggestions and to act 
as an incentive to the discovery of other nov- 
elties quite as interesting and as easily performed 
as these. 

When floating the paper it should be carefully 
done, so as not to allow water to creep over the 
edge, or the frail raft will begin to sink at once. 

Before spinning the humming top make a 
slight indentation in the cardboard for the peg 
to rest in. 

To make the candle merry-go-round, fasten 
hoods of writing paper to a slice of cork, and 
then place this on top of the upright sticks. 
Fasten the lower end of the stick to a piece of 
cardboard, and set this in turn upon a circular 
piece of floating writing paper. Make all fasten- 
ings with sealing-wax. Place candles in position 
as shown in the illustration, and it is all ready 
for use. 

The paper tower is eight feet high, and rests 
upon four sheets of floating writing paper 
fastened to each other with sealing-wax. The 
240 



SOME NEW PAPER TRICKS 

upright posts between each story are composed 
of two sheets of writing paper rolled the shortest 
way, fitted into each other and held in position 
with sealing-wax. Cross-pieces are single sheets 
rolled like uprights and curved at each end with 
scissors, so as to fit. On top of each set of 
columns lay a sheet of paper for the next story 
to rest on. Make each section separately, so it 
can be placed upon the lower one without any 
difficulty. 



241 



HOME-MADE CHRISTMAS TOYS 



Chapter XXIV 
HOME-MADE CHRISTMAS TOYS 



H 



ERE are some home-made Christmas pres- 
ents that are really easy to make: 



BUILDING THE SUBWAY 



The principal articles needed in the making of 
this subway are a piece of board three and one- 
half feet in length and ten inches in width, a 
large-sized shoe box or a wooden box of about 
the same dimensions, a smaller box to serve for 
the salt reservoir, and four sticks, each measur- 
ing twenty inches in length. Fasten the sticks 
to the outside of the larger box, and then, after 
setting this in an upright position, place the 
smaller box — which is to serve as the salt 
reservoir — on top of it, and secure it there with 
three or four touches of sealing-wax. Bore a 
hole one-fourth of an inch in diameter down 
through both boxes, one on each side, and at a 
distance of two and one-half inches from the 
exact centre. It is through these holes that the 
245 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

salt will fall into the wheelbarrows of your sub- 
way workmen. 

Now bore two holes, each one inch in diameter, 
in the long board, four inches from the top end 
and two and one-half inches from either side of it. 
One-half inch from the top end of the board, and 
just two and three-fourths inches from each side 
of it, fasten with plenty of sealing-wax two up- 
right wooden pegs of slightly less diameter that 
an ordinary lead pencil, so that when wooden 
spools are slid over them later on they will 
revolve without friction of any kind. After 
this, take two strips of cardboard, twenty-seven 
inches in length by one-half inch in width, 
fasten these lengthwise, one on each side, from 
the top of the board downward and at a distance 
of four and one-half inches from the sides of the 
board. This half-inch-high guard will prevent 
your workmen from colliding with each other. 
Now arch the board over for two feet or more of 
its length with stout wrapping paper, so as to 
form a tunnel, and fasten this in place with 
tacks. Set the board in the inclined position 
as shown in the illustration, so that the two holes 
in its upper end will be exactly under the two 
holes bored in the salt reservoir. When this is 
done, take two pieces of stiff cardboard or paste-" 
board, eleven inches in length by three and one- 
246 




NATTY FEATHER 
BALLET DANCER 



THE SUBWAY IN COMPLETE WORKING ORDER 





PAPER BUTTERFLY CIRCUS 



HOLLY-BRANCH MERRY-GO-ROUND 



HOME-MADE CHRISTMAS TOYS 



half inches in width, and fasten one on each side 
of the lower part of the incline with tacks (see 
the illustration). Now place the two curved 
strips of cardboard which you see on each side 
of the lower part of the 
incline in position with 
sealing-wax. Each of these 
strips measures eight 
inches in length and about 
one-half inch in height, 
and guides the wheelbar- 
rows to and from the 
dumping grounds. 

The men and wheelbar- 
rows are made as follows: 
The wheelbarrow is a 
matchbox with one of its 
sides partly cut off and 

turned down. Fasten the cut-off piece to the 
other side of the box, so that both under sides will 
match. Through these lower pieces the back 
axle is passed, which may be made of stiff wire 
four inches in length or a hatpin cut to this re- 
quired length. An ordinary pin serves for the 
front axle. As you will see by the illustration 
and diagram, this wheelbarrow has three wheels, 
which are of cardboard, one and one-half 
inches in di9,meter, and fastened firmly to the 
247 




NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

axle with sealing-wax. The diagram (Fig. 34) 
also shows perfectly how the wheelbarrow is 
put together. 

The workman is simply cut out of cardboard 
and fastened to the wheelbarrow, by passing the 
slits which have been cut in each hand over the 
handles of the wheelbarrow. To conclude, 
fasten a piece of stout thread to the back of one 
of the wheelbarrows while it is resting at the 
bottom of the incline, run the other end of the 
thread straight back of the two spools at the 
top of the incline, and fasten the loosened end 
to the back of the other wheelbarrow, which 
should have been previously placed directly 
under one of the holes through which the salt is 
to fall from the salt reservoir, and directly touch- 
ing the spool. Be sure the thread is perfectly 
taut. 

Fill the salt reservoir to the top with salt, and 
as soon as the wheelbarrow at the head of the 
incline is loaded it will immediately start to run 
to the bottom of the incline, where it will empty 
the salt automatically. As the loaded wheel- 
barrow rushes down the incline it pulls the 
emptied wheelbarrow to the top of the incline 
to get its load of salt. 

This species of perpetual motion will continue 
so long as the salt reservoir is kept filled withsalt,. 
248 



HOME-MADE CHRISTMAS TOYS 

By means of pieces of bent cardboard 
you may make your power house at the 
head of the incHne as architecturally interesting 
as you desire. 

When salt is not falling into the wheelbarrows 
it should fall through either of the holes bored 
in the upper part of the incline. 

THE BUTTERFLY CIRCUS 

The butterflies are of light cardboard covered 
with various coloured crepe tissue papers. 
These may be made of all sizes; the large ones 
shown in the illustration were six inches in 
length. When the butterflies are all prepared, 
fasten them to long, curved wires by thrusting 
the tips of the wires through the wings ; see the 
illustration. The wires are then stuck in and 
suspended from a large cork and through the 
centre of this cork a hatpin is inserted, so that 
when the point of this pin rests on the smooth 
end of a stick, which should be fastened in an 
upright position to the top of the Christmas tree, 
the circle of butterfly will balance perfectly. 
In placing the butterflies on the wires, incline 
them considerably in one direction. The heat 
arising from the lighted tapers will cause the 
butterflies to fly around and around in beautiful 
style. 

249 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

HOLLY-BRANCH MERRY-GO-ROUND 

Four Sprigs of holly are stuck into a cork, 
through the centre of which a hatpin has been 
previously driven. Near the top of the hatpin 
a small cork may be seen, in which four light 
sticks are stuck, and over these sticks are slipped 
square pieces of paper placed at slightly inclined 
positions. Near the end of each holly branch 
a little candlestick with a candle is attached. 
When the candles are lighted the " holly -branch 
merry-go-round," with its lighted wax tapers, 
will revolve very prettily indeed. 

THE FEATHERED BALLET-DANCER 

Long chicken feathers are stuck into a cork as 
shown in the illustration, so that each feather is 
turned slightly outward and all in the same 
direction. The head is a wad of newspaper, on 
which features are marked. Upon the under 
side of the cork a long straw is fastened. This is 
slipped over a hatpin, which has been previously 
tied to a stick fastened in an upright position to 
two of the branches. The lighted candles make 
the dancer revolve very comically. 



250 



ELASTIC TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE 
THEM 



Chapter XXV 

ELASTIC TOYS AND HOW TO MAKE 
THEM 

T TERE is a whole lot of fun for you boys and 
•*- -*- girls, and unless I'm very much mistaken 
you'll all think so yourselves after you have made 
some of these elastic toys. Why, just think of 
it, all the toys here illustrated are so simple to 
make that every boy and girl can easily make 
others like them. They are toys that will move, 
too. 

Begin with the "tin-can locomotive," for that 
is the simplest. Make all the fastenings with 
sealing-wax. 

HOW TO MAKE A TIN-CAN LOCOMOTIVE 

The boiler of the locomotive is a baking- 
powder can, the rear wheels are covers of the 
same, the cab is an oblong tin box, the smoke- 
stack is a spool, and the forward wheel is another 
spool. Cut along the lower edge of the tin-box 
cab, and turn up the tin for three-fourths of an 
253 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

inch and at right angles to the plane of the box. 
Bore two holes in the sides of the cab for the 
knitting-needle axle. Bore a hole in the centre 
of wheels, slip the axle through the holes in the 
cab, slide the wheels over the ends of this and 
fasten securely to the axle. Fasten the boiler 
to the cab, resting the back of it on the turned-up 
tin. Fasten two pieces of cardboard to the 
forward part of the boiler and bore a hole 
through the lower ends of these. Plug the holes 
of the spool to be used as the front wheels with 
wood, place between the cardboard strips, and 
stick ordinary pins through the holes in the 
strips and in the centre of the plugs for axles. 
The headlight is supported on a square of card- 
board fastened to the boiler. Carefully fasten 
a piece of elastic in position as follows: Tie one 
end around the centre of the axle inside the cab, 
pass the loose end through the long, narrow 
opening in the lower part of the cab, and fasten 
it with plenty of sealing-wax to the front end of 
the boiler; see diagram for way to arrange the 
elastic. The elastic should be as long as from 
the front of the boiler to the axle. An elastic 
band cut in two at one end or a number of small 
elastic bands tied together will answer admirably. 
To set the locomotive in motion, turn the tin 
wheels backward until quite a lot of the. elastic 
254 



ELASTIC TOYS 

is wound up on the axle, then holding the wheels 
firmly, set the locomotive on the floor, when it 
will travel for a distance of twenty-five feet or 
more. Cars are made of match boxes. 

HOW TO MAKE A TROLLEY CAR * 

The upper part of the car is an inverted box 
of light cardboard, ten inches in length, with 
windows and doors cut in it. The wheels are of 
cardboard or pill boxes, two and one-half inches 
in diameter, and are set inside the car. Holes 
are bored in the sides of the car through which 
to pass the knitting-needle axles (see the illus- 
tration). The wheels inside should be fastened 
firmly to the axles with sealing-wax. Now^take 
a box cover of the same width as the box but 
four inches longer. Cut holes in it through 
which to pass the wheels, and also punch holes 
in its sides for axles. Before going farther tie 
a piece of elastic eight inches long to the centre 
of the front axle. Place the inverted box in the 
cover, allowing the tips of the axles to pass 
through the holes in the sides of this, and fasten 
together with sealing-wax. Bend the sides of 
the cover projecting beyond the front and the 
rear of the car body to form steps. Pass the 
loose end of the elastic under the rear axle, and 
fasten to the extreme rear of the car (see illus- 
25s 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

tration). The trolley is of cardboard. The 
trolley wheel is a slice of cork, with cardboard 
disks of larger diameter fastened to it. Use an 
ordinary pin for the axle on the trolley wheel. 
Place the lower end of the trolley through a slit in 
the top of the car, and stick a pin through it 
crosswise, so that it rests there. Fasten the pin 
down with sealing-wax. The trolley line is of 
thread. Be sure to pass it under the trolley 
wheel. To make the car go, wind up the elastic 
on the front axle by turning the wheels back- 
ward. 

The bicycles and their riders are of stiff card- 
board. The illustration shows how these are 
mad^. The diameter of the large wheels is five 
inches. The uprights on each side of the large 
wheels are three inches in length. The upper 
ends of these are fastened to narrow, curved 
strips of cardboard seven inches in length, on the 
lower ends of which small wheels are placed. 
The wire axles through the large wheels are three 
inches in length, and bent as shown in the illus- 
tration. First fasten the body of the bicyclists 
in position on the cardboard uprights, and then 
loosely attach the joints with pins. Fasten the 
bicyclists to the tips of a slender eighteen-inch 
stick, as shown in the illustration. The elastic 
power to run the bicyclists is in a cardboard box 
256 




A BICYCLE RACE 



' ELASTIC TOYS 

between the two. A knitting needle is stuck 
through the box, one end of a piece of elastic 
is fastened to it, and the other end to the box. 
To make the bicyclists go, hold them and turn 
the box around and around, which will wind up 
the elastic. 



257 



SCULPTURE FOR EVERYBODY 



Chapter XXVI 



SCULPTURE FOR EVERYBODY 



X^. 



T?VERY woman and girl has here an oppor- 
-*--' tunity to make lovely things in sculpture. 
Talent is not re- 
quisite, nor study 
in art schools 
necessary. There 
is no dirt-making 
clay to handle, no 
expensive wax to 
buy, no intricate 
modelling tools to 
learn the use of. 
A few cakes of 
white soap, a 
teaspoon and a 
penknife are all 
that is needful 
for the creation 
of a veritable fairyland 








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XJ. /OWUvvA."t)L M<a, 

Fig. 35 

Beautiful chariots, 
graceful candlesticks, perfect dogwood blossoms, 



261 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

roses, orchids and a whole profusion of dainty 
objects can, by this means, be produced with 
surprising ease. The best results are produced 
from ordinary cakes of white soap — the softer 
the better. 

To make single petals for dogwood and other 
flowers, scoop out a light shaving of soap with 
a teaspoon, as shown in A, Fig. 35. To make a 
rose, first scoop up a small petal with a teaspoon 
near the centre of a cake of soap, and proceed 
to make petals as shown in B, Fig. 35, until the 
rose is completed. Be very careful not to break 
petals off, and also to make them gradually 
larger as the outer edge of the rose is reached. 

DOGWOOD BLOSSOMS 

Dogwood blossoms may be made as follows: 
Upon a piece of dogwood branch fasten a num- 
ber of soap blossoms, as shown in illustration. 
Each flower consists of four petals, which should 
be fastened to the branch, one at a time, with 
sealing-wax. Festoons of flowers may be made 
by saturating a long piece of soft, white string 
with prepared glue, then placing it upon a hand- 
ful of delicate, small soap shavings. Leave it 
there until the glue hardens, when upon care- 
fully withdrawing it the festoon will be ready for 
use. 

262 



M 


iit.Mtt. ft • ' > ' 


ll 


P 


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m 


'JK^^ 


H^H 


i^ 


|n 


p—A 


•JPf 




SOAP CANDELABRUM 



DOGWOOD BLOSSOMS 




THE FLOWERY CHARIOT 



SCULPTURE FOR EVERYBODY 

You will need a soap mixture, and this is the 
way to make it: Place a number of fine soap 
shavings in a tin pan and just cover them with 
water. Set this upon the stove and keep it 
there until the soap is melted, then take it off, 
and when the solution thickens until the con- 
sistency of glue is reached it is ready for use. 
This mixture is used to fasten the parts of sculp- 
ture together, to fill up all interstices, and is 
generally useful and convenient. 



A SOAP CANDELABRUM 

To make the candelabrum, fasten a block of 
wood three and one-half inches square by six 
and one-half inches 
in height to a piece 
of board. Around 
the block place four 
cakes of soap (A, 
Fig. 36). These 
should measure 
about four inches 
long, two and one- 
half inches wide 
and one and one- 
half inches thick, 

and be fastened securely to the board with 

"soap mixture." Then place corner pieces and 

263 













/ 


V 


\ 


- 


> 


WOOD BLOCK 


< 


A 






.^ _. 


— »^ 



Fig. 36 



NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 




lower steps in position, as shown in the diagram, 
and the base is complete. Start building 
pedestal by fastening large roses (A, Fig. 37) 
to base; use sharpened matches as pegs for this 
purpose (see B, Fig. 37). Fasten small roses on 
top of large roses in same 
manner, and the pedestal 
will be completed. Roses 
will present a better ap- 
pearance if separated 
from each other and from 
base with thin slices of 
soap fastened in position 
with "soap mixture" 
(see diagram). After 
this cut out a hexagonal piece of soap (C, 
Fig. 37) and fasten it to the top of the 
block. 

For the column, use a pasteboard roller about 
twelve inches high and one and one-half inches 
through and paint it white. Bore a hole com- 
pletely through the middle of tube and insert a 
curved piece of wire, which should be firmly 
secured with sealing-wax (D, Fig. 37). Upon 
each tip of wire fasten four small soap petals with 
sealing-wax. Entwine a string festoon of flowers 
gracefully around the column, securing both 
ends with sealing-wax. Fasten the column m 
264 



Fig. 37 



SCULPTURE FOR EVERYBODY 

place upon a hexagonal piece of soap with the 
"so^p mixture" or with sealing-wax. 

In conclusion, cover up all exposed sealing- 
wax and wire with white paint; also paint the 
board upon which the candelabra stands jet 
black, which will greatly add to the effect. Can- 
dles may be fastened in place with "soap mix- 
ture." 

THE FLOWERY CHARIOT 

The foundation of the flowery chariot is made 
by fastening a block of wood six inches long, two 
inches wide and one and one-fourth inches high 
securely to a stand. Slice two cakes of soap in 
half (A, Fig. 38). Place three slices upon the 
wooden block, and fasten the whole together 
with " soap mix- 

4K. 



ture." When the 
mixture has hard- 
ened carve out these 
slices in shape as 
shown by B, Fig. 38. 
Next place a whole Fig. 38 

cake of soap, from which a step has been 
previously cut out, upon the rear of this (C, 
I'^ig- 38), fastening it in the same manner as 
shown in B, Fig. 37, and afterward afhx 
smaller rose, as shown in Fig. 38. Now 
265 




NEW GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS 

cut out six thin, narrow slices of soap and 
fasten them with mixture to body of chariot, as 
shown by dotted Hnes (C, Fig. 38). Keep these 
in place with pins until the mixture hardens, and 
then shave down until the whole presents the 
appearance as shown by D, Fig. 38. For decora- 
tion, fasten single petals to chariot with mixture 
or pins. In front place a flower composed of 
petals joined together with mixture ; around , 
this flower entwine a long string festoon as shown 
in the illustration. For wheels, cut out four 
circular pieces of soap, two large and two small 
stick matches in centre for axle, and decorate 
these with delicate petals. 

The daintiness of this chariot can hardly be 
imagined by the person who has never seen any 
of the beautiful articles that can be made from 
ordinary white soap. When placed against a 
dark background it looks wondrously beautiful, 
Rich, dark backgrounds and strong light and 
shade, properly placed, heighten the effect of 
these soap sculptures very materially. 



t66 



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